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OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OE  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  MYSTERY  OF 
ORCIVAL 


On  the  bank  of  the  river,  among  thejstumps  and  flags,  was  stretched 
the  body  of  a  woman. — Page  2. 


THE  MYSTERY 
OF  ORCIVAL 


Translated  from  the  French  of 

EMILE   GABORIAU 


Illustrated  by 
JULES  GUERIN 


Charles  Scribner's  Sons 
New  York    ....    1906 


COPYRIGHT,  1871,  BY 
HOLT   &   WILLIAMS 


COPYRIGHT,  1900,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


PQ, 


ISOO 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

On  the  bank  of  the  river,  among  the  stumps  and  flags,  was 
stretched  the  body  of  a  woman.  .  .  .  .  .  Frontispiece 

Facing 
page 

The  count  threw  himself  into  an  arm-chair  and  buried 
his  face  in  his  hands 166 

He  looked  at  her  a  moment,  which  seemed  to  her  an  age, 
and  simply  replied,  "  I  understand  it." 254 

Nine  o'clock  had  just  struck  in  the  belfry  of  the  church 
of  St.  Eustache  when  M.  Plantat  reached  the  Rue 
Montmartre 310 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  ORCIVAL 


On  Thursday,  the  gih  of  July,  186-,  Jean  Bertaud 
and  his  son,  well  known  at  Orcival  as  living  by  poach- 
ing and  marauding,  rose  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, just  at  daybreak,  to  go  fishing. 

Taking  their  tackle,  they  descended  the  charming 
pathway,  shaded  by  acacias,  which  you  see  from  the 
station  at  Evry,  and  which  leads  from  the  burg  of  Orci- 
val to  the  Seine. 

They  made  their  way  to  their  boat,  moored  as  usual 
some  fifty  yards  above  the  wire  bridge,  across  a. field 
adjoining  Valfeuillu,  the  imposing  estate  of  the  Count 
de  Tremorel. 

Having  reached  the  river-bank,  they  laid  down  their 
tackle,  and  Jean  jumped  into  the  boat  to  bail  out  the 
water  in  the  bottom. 

While  he  was  skilfully  using  the  scoop,  he  perceived 
that  one  of  the  oar-pins  of  the  old  craft,  worn  by  the 
oar,  was  on  the  point  of  breaking. 

"  Philippe,"  cried  he,  to  his  son,  who  was  occupied 
in  unravelling  a  net,  "  bring  me  a  bit  of  wood  to  make 
a  new  oar:pin." 

"  All  right,"  answered  Philippe. 

There  was  no  tree  in  the  field.  The  young  man  bent 
his  steps  toward  the  park  of  Valfeuillu,  a  few  rods  dis- 


s  THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

tant ;  and,  neglectful  of  Article  391  of  the  Penal  Code 
jumped  across  the  wide  ditch  which  surrounds  M.  de 
Tremorel's  domain.  He  thought  he  would  cut  off  a 
branch  of  one  of  the  old  willows,  which  at  this  place 
touch  the  water  with  their  drooping  branches. 

He  had  scarcely  drawn  his  knife  from  his  pocket, 
while  looking  about  him  with  the  poacher's  unquiet 
glance,  when  he  uttered  a  low  cry,  "  Father !  Here ! 
Father !  " 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  responded  the  old  marauder, 
without  pausing  from  his  work. 

"  Father,  come  here !  "  continued  Philippe.  "  In 
Heaven's  name,  come  here,  quick !  " 

Jean  knew  by  the  tone  of  his  son's  voice  that  some- 
thing' unusual  had  happened.  He  threw  down  his 
scoop,  and,  anxiety  quickening  him,  in  three  leaps  was 
in  the  park.  He  also  stood  still,  horror-struck,  before 
the  spectacle  which  had  terrified  Philippe. 

On  the  bank  of  the  river,  among  the  stumps  and 
flags,  was  stretched  a  woman's  body.  Her  long,  di- 
shevelled locks  lay  among  the  water-shrubs ;  her  dress 
— of  gray  silk — was  soiled  with  mire  and  blood.  All 
the  upper  part  of  the  body  lay  in  shallow  water,  and 
her  face  had  sunk  in  the  mud. 

"  A  murder !  "  muttered  Philippe,  whose  voice  trem- 
bled. 

"  That's  certain,"  responded  Jean,  in  an  indifferent 
tone.  "  But  who  can  this  woman  be  ?  Really  one 
would  say,  the  countess." 

"  We'll  see,"  said  the  young  man.  He  stepped 
toward  the  body ;  his  father  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  What  would  you  do,  fool  ? "  said  he.  "  You 
ought  never  to  touch  the  body  of  a  murdered  person 
without  legal  authority." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL  3 

"You  think  so?" 

"  Certainly.    There  are  penalties  for  it." 
"  Then,  come  along  and  let's  inform  the  Mayor." 
"  Why  ?  as  if  people  hereabouts  were  not  against  us 
enough  already !    Who  knows  that  they  would  not  ac- 
cuse us " 


"  But,  father- 


"  If  we  go  and  inform  Monsieur  Courtois,  he  will 
ask  us  how  and  why  we  came  to  be  in  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel's  park  to  find  this  out.  What  is  it  to  you, 
that  the  countess  has  been  killed?  They'll  find  her 
body  without  you.  Come,  let's  go  away." 

But  Philippe  did  not  budge.  Hanging  his  head,  his 
chin  resting  upon  his  palm,  he  reflected. 

"  We  must  make  this  known,"  said  he,  firmly.  "  We 
are  not  savages ;  we  will  tell  Monsieur  Courtois  that 
in  passing  along  by  the  park  in  our  boat,  we  perceived 
the  body." 

Old  Jean  resisted  at  first ;  then,  seeing  that  his  son' 
would,  if  need  be,  go  without  him,  yielded. 

They  re-crossed  the  ditch,  and  leaving  their  fishing- 
tackle  in  the  field,  directed  their  steps  hastily  toward 
the  mayor's  house. 

Orcival,  situated  a  mile  or  more  from  Corbeil,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Seine,  is  one  of  the  most  charming 
villages  in  the  environs  of  Paris,  despite  the  infernal 
etymology  of  its  name.  The  gay  and  thoughtless 
Parisian,  who,  on  Sunday,  wanders  about  the  fields, 
more  destructive  than  the  rook,  has  not  yet  discovered 
this  smiling  country.  The  distressing  odor  of  the  fry- 
ing from  coffee-gardens  does  not  there  stifle  the  per- 
fume of  the  honeysuckles.  The  refrains  of  bargemen, 
the  brazen  voices  of  boat-horns,  have  never  awakened 
echoes  there.  Lazily  situated  on  the  gentle  slopes  of 


4  THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

a  bank  washed  by  the  Seine,  the  houses  of  Orcival  are 
white,  and  there  are  delicious  shades,  and  a  bell-tower 
which  is  the  pride  of  the  place.  On  all  sides  vast  pleas- 
ure domains,  kept  up  at  great  cost,  surround  it.  From 
the  upper  part,  the  weathercocks  of  twenty  chateaux 
may  be  seen.  On  the  right  is  the  forest  of  Mauprevoir, 
and  the  pretty  country-house  of  the  Countess  de  la 
Breche;  opposite,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  is 
Mousseaux  and  Petit-Bourg,  the  ancient  domain  of 
Aguado,  now  the  property  of  a  famous  coach-maker ; 
on  the  left,  those  beautiful  copses  belong  to  the  Count 
de  Tremorel,  that  large  park  is  d'Etiolles,  and  in  the 
distance  beyond  is  Corbiel ;  that  vast  building,  whose 
roofs  are  higher  than  the  oaks,  is  the  Darblay  mill. 

The  mayor  of  Orcival  occupies  a  handsome,  pleasant 
mansion,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  village.  Formerly 
a  manufacturer  of  dry  goods,  M.  Courtois  entered 
business  without  a  penny,  and  after  thirty  years  of  ab- 
sorbing toil,  he  retired  with  four  round  millions  of 
francs. 

Then  he  proposed  to  live  tranquilly  with  his  wife  and 
children,  passing  the  winter  at  Paris  and  the  summer 
at  his  country-house. 

But  all  of  a  sudden  he  was  observed  to  be  disturbed 
and  agitated.  Ambition  stirred  his  heart.  He  took 
vigorous  measures  to  be  forced  to  accept  the  mayor- 
alty of  Orcival.  And  he  accepted  it,  quite  in  self-de- 
fence, as  he  will  himself  tell  you.  This  office  was  at 
once  his  happiness  and  his  despair ;  apparent  despair, 
interior  and  real  happiness. 

It  quite  befits  him,  with  clouded  brow,  to  rail  at  the 
cares  of  power ;  he  appears  yet  better  when,  his  waist 
encircled  with  the  gold-laced  scarf,  he  goes  in  triumph 
at  the  head  of  the  municipal  body. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL  5 

Everybody  was  sound  asleep  at  the  mayor's  when 
the  two  Bertauds  rapped  the  heavy  knocker  of  the 
door.  After  a  moment,  a  servant,  half  asleep,  ap- 
peared at  one  of  the  ground-floor  windows. 

"  What's  the  matter,  you  rascals  ?  "  asked  he,  growl- 
ing. 

Jean  did  not  think  it  best  to  revenge  an  insult  which 
his  reputation  in  the  village  too  well  justified. 

"  We  want  to  speak  to  Monsieur  the  Mayor,"  he  an- 
swered. "  There  is  terrible  need  of  it.  Go  call  him, 
Monsieur  Baptiste ;  he  won't  blame  you." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  anybody  blame  me,"  snapped  out 
Baptiste. 

It  took  ten  minutes  of  talking  and  explaining  to  per- 
suade the  servant.  Finally,  the  Bertauds  were  admit- 
ted to  a  little  man,  fat  and  red,  very  much  annoyed  at 
being  dragged  from  his  bed  so  early.  It  was  M.  Cour- 
tois. 

They  had  decided  that  Philippe  should  speak. 

"  Monsieur  Mayor,"  he  said,  "  we  have  come  to  an- 
nounce to  you  a  great  misfortune.  A  crime  has  been 
committed  at  Monsieur  de  Tremorel's." 

M.  Courtois  was  a  friend  of  the  count's ;  he  became 
whiter  than  his  shirt  at  this  sudden  news. 

"  My  God ! "  stammered  he,  unable  to  control  his 
emotion,  "  what  do  you  say — a  crime !  " 

"  Yes ;  we  have  just  discovered  a  body ;  and  as  sure 
as  you  are  here,  I  believe  it  to  be  that  of  the  countess." 

The  worthy  man  raised  his  arms  heavenward,  with  a 
wandering  air. 

"But  where,  when?" 

"  Just  now,  at  the  foot  of  the  park,  as  we  were  going 
to  take  up  our  nets." 

"  It  is  horrible !  "  exclaimed  the  good  M.  Courtois ; 


6  THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"what  a  calamity!  So  worthy  a  lady!  But  it  is  not 
possible — you  must  be  mistaken;  I  should  have  been 
informed " 

"  We  saw  it  distinctly,  Monsieur  Mayor." 

"  Such  a  crime  in  my  village!  Well,  you  have  done 
wisely  to  come  here.  I  will  dress  at  once,  and  will 
hasten  off — no,  wait."  He  reflected  a  moment,  then 
called: 

"Baptiste!" 

The  valet  was  not  far  off.  With  ear  and  eye  alter- 
nately pressed  against  the  key-hole,  he  heard  and 
looked  with  all  his  might.  At  the  sound  of  his  mas- 
ter's voice  he  had  only  to  stretch  out  his  hand  and  open 
the  door. 

"  Monsieur  called  me?  " 

"  Run  to  the  justice  of  the  peace,"  said  the  mayor. 
"  There  is  not  a  moment  to  lose.  A  crime  has  been 
committed — perhaps  a  murder — you  must  go  quickly. 
And  you,"  addressing  the  poachers,  "  await  me  here 
while  I  slip  on  my  coat." 

The  justice  of  the  peace  at  Orcival,  M.  Plantat — 
"  Papa  Plantat,"  as  he  was  called — was  formerly  an  at- 
torney at  Melun.  At  fifty,  Mr.  Planta't,  whose  career 
had  been  one  of  unbroken  prosperity,  lost  in  the  same 
month,  his  wife,  whom  he  adored,  and  his  two  sons, 
charming  youths,  one  eighteen,  the  other  twenty-two 
years  old.  These  successive  losses  crushed  a  man 
whom  thirty  years  of  happiness  left  without  defence 
against  misfortune.  For  a  long  time  his  reason  was 
despaired  of.  Even  the  sight  of  a  client,  coming  to 
trouble  his  grief,  to  recount  stupid  tales  of  self-interest, 
exasperated  him.  It  was  not  surprising  that  he  sold 
out  his  professional  effects  and  good-will  at  half  price. 
He  wished  to  establish  himself  at  his  ease  in  his  grief, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL  7 

with  the  certainty  of  not  being  disturbed  in  its  indul- 
gence. 

But  the  intensity  of  his  mourning  diminished,  and 
the  ills  of  idleness  came.  The  justiceship  of  the  peace 
at  Orcival  was  vacant,  and  M.  Plantat  applied  for  and 
obtained  it..  Once  installed  in  this  office,  he  suffered 
less  from  ennui.  This  man,  who  saw  his  life  drawing 
to  an  end,  undertook  to  interest  himself  in  the  thousand 
diverse  cases  which  came  before  him.  He  applied  to 
these  all  the  forces  of  a  superior  intelligence,  the  re- 
sources of  a  mind  admirably  fitted  to  separate  the  false 
from  the  true  among  the  lies  he  was  forced  to  hear. 
He  persisted,  besides,  in  living  alone,  despite  the  urg- 
ing of  M.  Courtois ;  pretending  that  society  fatigued 
him,  and  that  an  unhappy  man  is  a  bore  in  company. 

Misfortune,  which  modifies  characters,  for  good  or 
bad,  had  made  him,  apparently,  a  great  egotist.  He 
declared  that  he  was  only  interested  in  the  affairs  of 
life  as  a  critic  tired  of  its  active  scenes.  He  loved  to 
make  a  parade  of  his  profound  indifference  for  every- 
thing, swearing  that  a  rain  of  fire  descending  upon 
Paris,  would  not  even  make  him  turn  his  head.  To 
move  him  seemed  impossible.  "  What's  that  to  me  ?  " 
was  his  invariable  exclamation. 

Such  was  the  man  who,  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after 
Baptiste's  departure,  entered  the  mayor's  house. 

M.  Plantat  was  tall,  thin,  and  nervous.  His  physi- 
ognomy was  not  striking.  His  hair  was  short,  his 
restless  eyes  seemed  always  to  be  seeking  something, 
his  very  long  nose  was  narrow  and  sharp.  After  his 
affliction,  his  mouth,  formerly  well  shaped,  became  de- 
formed ;  his  lower  lip  had  sunk,  and  gave  him  a  decep- 
tive look  of  simplicity. 


8  THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"They  tell  me,"  said  he,  at  the  threshold,  "that 
Madame  de  Tremorel  has  been  murdered." 

"  These  men  here,  at  least,  pretend  so,"  answered  the 
mayor,  who  had  just  reappeared. 

M.  Courtois  was  no  longer  the  same  man.  He  had 
had  time  to  make  his  toilet  a  little.  His  face  attempted 
to  express  a  haughty  coldness.  He  had  been  reproach- 
ing himself  for  having  been  wanting  in  dignity,  in 
showing  his  grief  before  the  Bertauds.  "  Nothing 
ought  to  agitate  a  man  in  my  position,"  said  he  to  him- 
self. And,  being  terribly  agitated,  he  forced  himself 
to  be  calm,  cold,  and  impassible. 

M.  Plantat  was  so  naturally. 

"  This  is  a  very  sad  event,"  said  he,  in  a  tone  which 
he  forced  himself  to  make  perfectly  disinterested ;  "  but 
after  all,  how  does  it  concern  us  ?  We  must,  however, 
hurry  and  ascertain  whether  it  is  true.  I  have  sent  for 
the  brigadier,  and  he  will  join  us." 

"  Let  us  go,"  said  M.  Courtois ;  "  I  have  my  scarf 
in  my  pocket." 

They  hastened  off.  Philippe  and  his  father  went 
first,  the  young  man  eager  and  impatient,  the  old  one 
sombre  and  thoughtful.  The  mayor,  at  each  step, 
made  some  exclamation. 

"  I  can't  understand  it,"  muttered  he ;  "a  murder  in 
my  commune !  a  commune  where,  in  the  memory  of 
men,  no  crime  has  been  committed !  " 

And  he  directed  a  suspicious  glance  toward  the  two 
Bertauds.  The  road  which  led  toward  the  chateau  of 
M.  de  Tremorel  was  an  unpleasant  one,  shut  in  by 
walls  a  dozen  feet  high.  On  one  side  is  the  park  of  the 
Marchioness  de  Lanascol ;  on  the  other  the  spacious 
garden  of  Saint  Jouan.  The  going  and  coming  had 
taken  time;  it  was  nearly  eight  o'clock  when  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL  9 

mayor,  the  justice,  and  their  guides  stopped  before  the 
gate  of  M.  de  Tremorel. 

The  mayor  rang.  The  bell  was  very  large ;  only  a 
small  gravelled  court  of  five  or  six  yards  separated  the 
gate  from  the  house ;  nevertheless  no  one  appeared. 

The  mayor  rang  more  vigorously,  then  with  all  his 
strength  ;  but  in  vain. 

Before  the  gate  of  Mme.  de  Lanascol's  chateau, 
nearly  opposite,  a  groom  was  standing,  occupied  in 
cleaning  and  polishing  a  bridle-bit. 

"  It's  of  no  use  to  ring,  gentlemen,"  said  this  man ; 
"  there's  nobody  in  the  chateau." 

"  How !  nobody  ?  "  asked  the  mayor,  surprised. 

"  I  mean,"  said  the  groom,  "  that  there  is  no  one 
there  but  the  master  and  mistress.  The  servants  all 
went  away  last  evening  by  the  8.40  train  to  Paris,  to 
the  wedding  of  the  old  cook,  Madame  Denis.  They 
ought  to  return  this  morning  by  the  first  train.  I  was 
invited  myself " 

"  Great  God !  "  interrupted  M.  Courtois,  "  then  the 
count  and  countess  remained  alone  last  night?  " 

"  Entirely  alone,  Monsieur  Mayor." 

"  It  is  horrible !  " 

M.  Plantat  seemed  to  grow  impatient  during  this 
dialogue.  "  Come,"  said  he,  "  we  cannot  stay  forever 
at  the  gate.  The  gendarmes  do  not  come ;  let  us  send 
for  the  locksmith."  Philippe  was  about  to  hasten  off, 
when,  at  the  end  of  the  road,  singing  and  laughing 
were  heard.  Five  persons,  three  women  and  two  men, 
soon  appeared. 

"  Ah,  there  are  the  people  of  the  chateau,"  cried  the 
groom,  whom  this  morning  visit  seemed  to  annoy, 
"  they  ought  to  have  a  key." 

The  domestics,  seeing  the  group  about  the  gate,  be- 


io         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

came  silent  and  hastened  their  steps.  One  of  them 
began  to  run  ahead  of  the  others ;  it  was  the  count's 
valet  de  chambre. 

"  These  gentlemen  perhaps  wish  to  speak  to  Mon- 
sieur the  Count?"  asked  he,  having  bowed  to  M. 
Plantat. 

"  We  have  rung  five  times,  as  hard  as  we  could," 
said  the  mayor. 

"  It  is  surprising,"  said  the  valet  de  chambre,  "  the 
count  sleeps  very  lightly.  Perhaps  he  has  gone  out." 

"  Horror !  "  cried  Philippe.  "  Both  of  them  have 
been  murdered !  "  These  words  shocked  the  servants, 
whose  gayety  announced  a  reasonable  number  of 
healths  drunk  to  the  happiness  of  the  newly  wedded 
pair.  M.  Courtois  seemed  to  be  studying  the  attitude 
of  old  Bertaud. 

"  A  murder !  "  muttered  the  valet  de  chambre.  "  It 
was  for  money  then  ;  it  must  have  been  known " 

"  What?  "  asked  the  mayor. 

"  Monsieur  the  Count  received  a  very  large  sum  yes- 
terday morning." 

"  Large !  yes,"  added  a  chambermaid.  "  He  had  a 
Jarge  package  of  bank-bills.  Madame  even  said  to 
Monsieur  that  she  should  not  shut  her  eyes  the  whole 
night,  with  this  immense  sum  in  the  house." 

There  was  a  silence ;  each  one  looked  at  the  others 
with  a  frightened  air.  M.  Courtois  reflected. 

"  At  what  hour  did  you  leave  the  chateau  last  even- 
ing? "  asked  he  of  the  servants. 

"  At  eight  o'clock ;  we  had  dinner  early." 

"  You  went  away  all  together  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  did  not  leave  each  other  ?  " 

"  Not  a  minute." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL         it 

"  And  you  returned  all  together  ?  " 

The  servants  exchanged  a  significant  look. 

"  All,"  responded  a  chambermaid — "  that  is  to  say, 
no.  One  left  us  on  reaching  the  Lyons  station  at 
Paris ;  it  was  Guespin." 

"  Ah !  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  went  away,  saying  that  he  would  re- 
join us  at  Wepler's,  in  the  Batignolles,  where  the  wed- 
ding took  place."  The  mayor  nudged  the  justice  with 
his  elbow,  as  if  to  attract  his  attention,  and  continued 
to  question  the  chambermaid. 

"  And  this  Guespin,  as  you  call  him — did  you  see 
him  again  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I  asked  several  times  during  the  evening 
in  vain,  what  had  become  of  him  ;  his  absence  seemed 
to  me  suspicious."  Evidently  the  chambermaid  tried 
to  show  superior  perspicacity.  A  little  more,  and  she 
would  have  talked  of  presentiments. 

"  Has  this  Guespin  been  long  in  the  house?  " 

"  Since  spring." 

"  What  were  his  duties  ?  " 

"  He  was  sent  from  Paris  by  the  house  of  the  '  Skil- 
ful Gardener,'  to  take  care  of  the  rare  flowers  in  Ma- 
dame's  conservatory." 

"  And  did  he  know  of  this  money  ?  " 

The  domestics  again  exchanged  significant  glances. 

"  Yes,"  they  answered  in  chorus,  "  we  had  talked  a 
great  deal  about  it  among  ourselves." 

The  chambermaid  added :  "  He  even  said  to  me, 
'  To  think  that  Monsieur  the  Count  has  enough  money 
in  his  cabinet  to  make  all  our  fortunes.' " 

"  What  kind  of  a  man  is  this  ?  " 

This  question  absolutely  extinguished  the  talkative- 
ness of  the  servants.  No  one  dared  to  speak,  perceiv- 


12          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

ing  that  the  least  word  might  serve  as  the  basis  of  a 
terrible  accusation.  But  the  groom  of  the  house  op- 
posite, who  burned  to  mix  himself  up  in  the  affair,  had 
none  of  these  scruples.  "  Guespin,"  answered  he,  "  is 
a  good  fellow.  Lord,  what  jolly  things  he  knows !  He 
knows  everything  you  can  imagine.  It  appears  he  has 
been  rich  in  times  past,  and  if  he  wished —  But  dame  ! 
he  loves  to  have  his  work  all  finished,  and  go  off  on 
sprees.  He's  a  crack  billiard-player,  I  can  tell  you." 

Papa  Plantat,  while  listening  in  an  apparently  ab- 
sent-minded way  to  these  depositions,  or  rather  these 
scandals,  carefully  examined  the  wall  and  the  gate. 
He  now  turned,  and  interrupting  the  groom : 

"  Enough  of  this,"  said  he,  to  the  great  scandal  of 
M.  Courtois.  "  Before  pursuing  this  interrogatory, 
let  us  ascertain  the  crime,  if  crime  there  is ;  for  it  is  not 
proved.  Let  whoever  has  the  key,  open  the  gate." 

The  valet  de  chambre  had  the  key ;  he  opened  the 
gate,  and  all  entered  the  little  court.  The  gendarmes 
had  just  arrived.  The  mayor  told  the  brigadier  to  fol- 
low him,  and  placed  -two  men  at  the  gate,  ordering 
them  not  to  permit  anyone  to  enter  or  go  out,  unless 
by  his  orders.  Then  the  valet  de  chambre  opened  the 
door  of  the  house. 


II 

If  there  had  been  no  crime,  at  least  something  ex- 
traordinary had  taken  place  at  the  chateau  ;  the  impas- 
sible justice  might  have  been  convinced  of  it,  as  soon  as 
he  had  stepped  into  the  vestibule.  The  glass  door  lead- 
ing to  the  garden  was  wide  open,  and  three  of  the  panes 
were  shattered  into  a  thousand  pieces.  The  carpeting 
of  waxed  canvas  between  the  doors  had  been  torn  up, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          13 

and  on  the  white  marble  slabs  large  drops  of  blood 
were  visible.  At  the  foot  of  the  staircase  was  a  stain 
larger  than  the  rest,  and  upon  the  lowest  step  a  splash 
hideous  to  behold. 

Unfitted  for  such  spectacles,  or  for  the  mission  he 
had  now  to  perform,  M.  Courtois  became  faint.  Luck- 
ily, he  borrowed  from  the  idea  of  his  official  impor- 
tance, an  energy  foreign  to  his  character.  The  more 
difficult  the  preliminary  examination  of  this  affair 
seemed,  the  more  determined  he  was  to  carry  it  on 
with  dignity. 

"  Conduct  us  to  the  place  where  you  saw  the  body," 
said  he  to  Bertaud.  But  Papa  Plantat  intervened. 

"  It  would  be  wiser,  I  think,"  he  objected,  "  and 
more  methodical,  to  begin  by  going  through  the 
house." 

"  Perhaps — yes — true,  that's  my  own  view,"  said 
the  mayor,  grasping  at  the  other's  counsel,  as  a  drown- 
ing man  clings  to  a  plank.  And  he  made  all  retire  ex- 
cepting the  brigadier  and  the  valet  de  chambre,  the 
latter  remaining  to  serve  as  guide.  "  Gendarmes," 
cried  he  to  the  men  guarding  the  gate,  "  see  to  it  that 
no  one  goes  out ;  prevent  anybody  from  entering  the 
house,  and  above  all,  let  no  one  go  into  the  garden." 

Then  they  ascended  the  staircase.  Drops  of  blood 
were  sprinkled  all  along  the  stairs.  There  was  also 
blood  on  the  baluster,  and  M.  Courtois  perceived,  with 
horror,  that  his  hands  were  stained. 

When  they  had  reached  the  first  landing-stage,  the 
mayor  said  to  the  valet  de  chambre : 

"  Tell  me,  my  friend,  did  your  master  and  mistress 
occupy  the  same  chamber  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  where  is  their  chamber?  " 


14         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  There,  sir." 

As  he  spoke,  the  valet  de  chambre  staggered  back 
terrified,  and  pointed  to  a  door,  the  upper  panel  of 
which  betrayed  the  imprint  of  a  bloody  hand.  Drops 
of  perspiration  overspread  the  poor  mayor's  forehead ; 
he  too  was  terrified,  and  could  hardly  keep  on  his  feet. 
Alas,  authority  brings  with  it  terrible  obligations! 
The  brigadier,  an  old  soldier  of  the  Crimea,  visibly 
moved,  hesitated. 

M.  Plantat  alone,  as  tranquil  as  if  he  were  in  his 
garden,  retained  his  coolness,  and  looked  around  upon 
the  others. 

"  We  must  decide,"  said  he. 

He  entered  the  room ;  the  rest  followed. 

There  was  nothing  unusual  in  the  apartment ;  it  was 
a  boudoir  hung  in  blue  satin,  furnished  with  a  couch 
and  four  arm-chairs,  covered  also  with  blue  satin.  One 
of  the  chairs  was  overturned. 

They  passed  on  to  the  bed-chamber. 

A  frightful  disorder  appeared  in  this  room.  There 
was  not  an  article  of  furniture,  not  an  ornament,  which 
did  not  betray  that  a  terrible,  enraged  and  merciless 
struggle  had  taken  place  between  the  assassins  and 
their  victims.  In  the  middle  of  the  chamber  a  small 
table  was  overturned,  and  all  about  it  were  scattered 
lumps  of  sugar,  vermilion  cups,  and  pieces  of  porce- 
lain. 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  valet  de  chambre,  "  Monsieur  and 
Madame  were  taking  tea  when  the  wretches  came  in !  " 

The  mantel  ornaments  had  been  thrown  upon  the 
floor ;  the  clock,  in  falling,  had  stopped  at  twenty  min- 
utes past  three.  Near  the  clock  were  the  lamps;  the 
globes  were  in  pieces,  the  oil  had  been  spilled. 

The  canopy  of  the  bed  had  been  torn  down,  and 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          15 

covered  the  bed.  Someone  must  have  clutched  des- 
perately at  the  draperies.  All  the  furniture  was  over- 
turned. The  coverings  of  the  chairs  had  been  hacked 
by  strokes  of  a  knife,  and  in  places  the  stuffing  pro- 
truded. The  secretary  had  been  broken  open ;  the 
writing-slide,  dislocated,  hung  by  its  hinges ;  the 
drawers  were  open  and  empty,  and  everywhere,  blood 
— blood  upon  the  carpet,  the  furniture,  the  curtains — 
above  all,  upon  the  bed-curtains. 

"  Poor  wretches !  "  stammered  the  mayor.  "  They 
were  murdered  here." 

Everyone  for  a  moment  was  appalled.  But  mean- 
while, the  justice  of  the  peace  devoted  himself  to  a 
minute  scrutiny,  taking  notes  upon  his  tablets,  and 
looking  into  every  corner.  When  he  had  finished : 

"  Come,"  said  he,  "  let  us  go  into  the  other  rooms." 

Everywhere  there  was  the  same  disorder.  A  band 
of  furious  maniacs,  or  criminals  seized  with  a  frenzy, 
had  certainly  passed  the  night  in  the  house. 

The  count's  library,  especially,  had  been  turned 
topsy-turvy.  The  assassins  had  not  taken  the  trouble 
to  force  the  locks ;  they  had  gone  to  work  with  a 
hatchet.  Surely  they  were  confident  of  not  being  over- 
heard ;  for  they  must  have  struck  tremendous  blows  to 
make  the  massive  oaken  bureau  fly  in  pieces. 

Neither  parlor  nor  smoking-room  had  been  respect- 
ed. Couches,  chairs,  canopies,  were  cut  and  torn  as  if 
they  had  been  lunged  at  with  swords.  Two  spare 
chambers  for  guests  were  all  in  confusion. 

They  then  ascended  to  the  second  story. 

There,  in  the  first  room  which  they  penetrated,  they 
found,  beside  a  trunk  which  had  been  assaulted,  but 
which  was  not  yet  opened,  a  hatchet  for  splitting  wood, 


16          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

which  the  valet  de  chambre  recognized  as  belonging 
to  the  house. 

"  Do  you  understand  now  ?  "  said  the  mayor  to  M. 
Plantat.  "  The  assassins  were  in  force,  that's  clear. 
The  murder  accomplished,  they  scattered  through  the 
chateau,  seeking  everywhere  the  money  they  knew 
they  would  find  here.  One  of  them  was  engaged  in 
breaking  open  this  trunk,  when  the  others,  below, 
found  the  money ;  they  called  him ;  he  hastened  down, 
and  thinking  all  further  search  useless,  he  left  the 
hatchet  here." 

"  I  see  it,"  said  the  brigadier,  "  just  as  if  I  had  been 
here." 

The  ground-floor,  which  they  next  visited,  had  been 
respected.  Only,  after  the  crime  had  been  committed, 
and  the  money  secured,  the  murderers  had  felt  the  ne- 
cessity of  refreshing  themselves.  They  found  the  re- 
mains of  their  supper  in  the  dining-room.  They  had 
eaten  up  all  the  cold  meats  left  in  the  cupboard.  On 
the  table,  beside  eight  empty  bottles  of  wine  and 
liqueurs,  were  ranged  five  glasses. 

"  There  were  five  of  them,"  said  the  mayor. 

By  force  of  will,  M.  Courtois  had  recovered  his  self- 
possession. 

"  Before  going  to  view  the  bodies,"  said  he,  "  I  will 
send  word  to  the  procureur  of  Corbeil.  In  an  hour,  we 
will  have  a  judge  of  instruction,  who  will  finish  our 
painful  task." 

A  gendarme  was  instructed  to  harness  the  count's 
buggy*  and  to  hasten  to  the  procureur.  Then  the 
mayor  and  the  justice,  followed  by  the  brigadier,  the 
valet  de  chambre,  and  the  two  Bertauds,  took  their  way 
toward  the  river. 

The  park  of  Valfeuillu  was  very  wide  from  right  to 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          17 

left.  From  the  house  to  the  Seine  it  was  almost  two 
hundred  steps.  Before  the  house  was  a  grassy,  lawn, 
interspersed  with  flower-beds.  Two  paths  led  across 
the  lawn  to  the  river-bank. 

But  the  murderers  had  not  followed  the  paths.  Mak- 
ing a  short  cut,  they  had  gone  straight  across  the  lawn. 
Their  traces  were  perfectly  visible.  The  grass,  was 
trampled  and  stamped  down  as  if  a  heavy  load  had 
been  dragged  over  it.  In  the  midst  of  the  lawn  they 
perceived  something  red ;  M.  Plantat  went  and  picked 
it  up.  It  was  a  slipper,  which  the  valet  de  chambre 
recognized  as  the  count's.  Farther  on,  they  found  a 
white  silk  handkerchief,  which  the  valet  declared  he 
had  often  seen  around  the  count's  neck.  This  handker- 
chief was  stained  with  blood. 

At  last  they  arrived  at  the  river-bank,  under  the  wil- 
lows from  which  Philippe  had  intended  to  cut  off  a 
branch ;  there  they  saw  the  body.  The  sand  at  this 
place  was  much  indented  by  feet  seeking  a  firm  sup- 
port. Everything  indicated  that  here  had  been  the  su- 
preme struggle. 

M.  Courtois  understood  all  the  importance  of  these 
traces. 

"  Let  no  one  advance,"  said  he,  and,  followed  by  the 
justice  of  the  peace,  he  approached  the  corpse.  Al- 
though the  face  could  not  be  distinguished,  both  rec- 
ognized the  countess.  Both  had  seen  her  in  this  gray 
robe,  adorned  with  blue  trimmings. 

Now,  how  came  she  there  ? 

The  mayor  thought  that  having  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing from  the  hands  of  the  murderers,  she  had  fled 
wildly.  They  had  pursued  her,  had  caught  up  with 
her  there,  and  she  had  fallen  to  rise  no  more.  This 
version  explained  the  traces  of  the  struggle.  It  must 


i8          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

have  been  the  count's  body  that  they  had  dragged 
across  the  lawn. 

M.  Courtois  talked  excitedly,  trying  to  impose  his 
ideas  on  the  justice.  But  M.  Plantat  hardly  listened; 
you  might  have  thought  him  a  hundred  leagues  from 
Valfeuillu;  he  only  responded  by  monosyllables — 
yes,  no,  perhaps.  And  the  worthy  mayor  gave  himself 
great  pains ;  he  went  and  came,  measured  steps,  mi- 
nutely scrutinized  the  ground. 

There  was  not  at  this  place  more  than  a  foot  of  water. 
A  mud-bank,  upon  which  grew  some  clumps  of  flags 
and  some  water-lilies,  descended  by  a  gentle  decline 
from  the  bank  to  the  middle  of  the  river.  The  water 
was  very  clear,  and  there  was  no  current ;  the  slippery 
and  slimy  mire  could  be  distinctly  seen. 

M.  Courtois  had  gone  thus  far  in  his  investigations, 
when  he  was  struck  by  a  sudden  idea. 

"  Bertaud,"  said  he,  "  come  here." 

The  old  poacher  obeyed. 

"  You  say  that  you  saw  the  body  from  your  boat  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  Mayor." 

"  Where  is  your  boat  ?  " 

"  There,  hauled  up  to  that  field." 

"  Well,  lead  us  to  it." 

It  was  clear  to  all  that  this  order  had  a  great  effect 
upon  the  man.  He  trembled  and  turned  pale  under 
his  rough  skin,  tanned  as  it  was  by  sun  and  storm. 
He  was  even  seen  to  cast  a  menacing  look  toward  his 
son. 

"  Let  us  go,"  said  he  at  last. 

They  were  returning  to  the  house  when  the  valet 
proposed  to  pass  over  the  ditch.  "  That  will  be  the 
quickest  way,"  said  he,  "  I  will  go  for  a  ladder  which 
we  will  put  across." 


19 

He  went  off,  and  quickly  reappeared  with  his  im- 
provised foot-bridge.  But  at  the  moment  he  was  ad- 
justing it,  the  mayor  cried  out  to  him : 

"Stop!" 

The  imprints  left  by  the  Bertauds  on  both  sides  of 
the  ditch  had  just  caught  his  eye. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  said  he ;  "  evidently  someone  has 
crossed  here,  and  not  long  ago ;  for  the  traces  of  the 
steps  are  quite  fresh." 

After  an  examination  of  some  minutes  he  ordered 
that  the  ladder  should  be  placed  farther  off.  When 
they  had  reached  the  boat,  he  said  to  Jean,  "  Is  this 
the  boat  with  which  you  went  to  take  up  your  nets  this 
morning?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then,"  resumed  M.  Courtois,  "  what  implements 
did  you  use  ?  your  cast  net  is  perfectly  dry ;  this  boat- 
hook  and  these  oars  have  not  been  wet  for  twenty-four 
hours." 

The  distress  of  the  father  and  son  became  more  and 
more  evident. 

"  Do  you  persist  in  what  you  say,  Bertaud  ?  "  said 
the  mayor. 

"  Certainly." 

"And  you,  Philippe?" 

"  Monsieur,"  stammered  the  young  man,  "  we  have 
told  the  truth." 

"  Really !  "  said  M.  Courtois,  in  an  ironical  tone. 
"  Then  you  will  explain  to  the  proper  authorities  how 
it  was  that  you  could  see  anything  from  a  boat  which 
you  had  not  entered.  It  will  be  proved  to  you,  also, 
that  the  body  is  in  a  position  where  it  is  impossible  to 
see  it  from  the  middle  of  the  river.  Then  you  will  still 
have  to  tell  what  these  foot-prints  on  the  grass  are, 


20          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

which  go  from  your  boat  to  the  place  where  the  ditch 
has  been  crossed  several  times  and  by  several  persons." 

The  two  Bertauds  hung  their  heads. 

"  Brigadier,"  ordered  the  mayor,  "  arrest  these  two 
men  in  the  name  of  the  law,  and  prevent  all  communi- 
cation between  them." 

Philippe  seemed  to  be  ill.  As  for  old  Jean,  he  con- 
tented himself  with  shrugging  his  shoulders  and  say- 
ing to  his  son : 

"  Well,  you  would  have  it  so,  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

While  the  brigadier  led  the  two  poachers  away,  and 
shut  them  up  separately,  and  under  the  guard  of  his 
men,  the  justice  and  the  mayor  returned  to  the  park. 
"  With  all  this,"  muttered  M.  Courtois,  "  no  traces  of 
the  count." 

They  proceeded  to  take  up  the  body  of  the  countess. 

The  mayor  sent  for  two  planks,  which,  with  a  thou- 
sand precautions,  they  placed  on  the  ground,  being  able 
thus  to  move  the  countess  without  effacing  the  im- 
prints necessary  for  the  legal  examination.  Alas !  it 
was  indeed  she  who  had  been  the  beautiful,  the  charm- 
ing Countess  de  Tremorel !  Here  were  her  smiling 
face,  her  lovely,  speaking  eyes,  her  fine,  sensitive 
mouth. 

There  remained  nothing  of  her  former  self.  The  face 
was  unrecognizable,  so  soiled  and  wounded  was  it. 
Her  clothes  were  in  tatters.  Surely  a  furious  frenzy 
had  moved  the  monsters  who  had  slain  the  poor  lady ! 
She  had  received  more  than  twenty  knife-wounds,  and 
must  have  been  struck  with  a  stick,  or  rather  with  a 
hammer;  she  had  been  dragged  by  her  feet  and  by 
her  hair ! 

In  her  left  hand  she  grasped  a  strip  of  common  cloth, 
torn,  doubtless,  from  the  clothes  of  one  of  the  assassins. 


THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          21 

The  mayor,  in  viewing  the  spectacle,  felt  his  legs  fail 
him,  and  supported  himself  on  the  arm  of  the  impas- 
sible Plantat. 

"  Let  us  carry  her  to  the  house,"  said  the  justice, 
"  and  then  we  will  search  for  the  count." 

The  valet  and  brigadier  (who  had  now  returned) 
called  on  the  domestics  for  assistance.  The  women 
rushed  into  the  garden.  There  was  then  a  terrible  con- 
cert of  cries,  lamentations,  and  imprecations. 

"  The  wretches !  So  noble  a  mistress !  So  good  a 
lady !  " 

M.  and  Mme.  de  Tremorel,  one  could  see,  were 
adored  by  their  people. 

The  countess  had  just  been  laid  upon  the  billiard- 
table,  on  the  ground-floor,  when  the  judge  of  instruc- 
tion and  a  physician  were  announced. 

"  At  last !  "  sighed  the  worthy  mayor ;  and  in  a  lower 
tone  he  added,  "  the  finest  medals  have  their  reverse." 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  seriously  cursed  his 
ambition,  and  regretted  being  the  most  important  per- 
sonage in  Orcival. 

Ill 

The  judge  of  instruction  of  the  tribunal  at  Corbeil, 
was  M.  Antoine  Domini,  a  remarkable  man,  since 
called  to  higher  functions.  He  was  forty  years  of  age, 
of  a  prepossessing  person,  and  endowed  with  a  very 
expressive,  but  too  grave  physiognomy.  In  him 
seemed  typified  the  somewhat  stiff  solemnity  of  the 
magistracy.  Penetrated  with  the  dignity  of  his  office, 
he  sacrificed  his  life  to  it,  rejecting  the  most  simple  dis- 
tractions, and  the  most  innocent  pleasures. 

He  lived  alone,  seldom  showing  himself  abroad; 


22          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

rarely  received  his  friends,  not  wishing,  as  he  said,  that 
the  weaknesses  of  the  man  should  derogate  from  the 
sacred  character  of  the  judge.  This  latter  reason  had 
deterred  him  from  marrying,  though  he  felt  the  need 
of  a  domestic  sphere. 

Always  and  everywhere  he  was  the  magistrate — that 
is,  the  representative,  even  to  fanaticism,  of  what  he 
thought  the  most  august  institution  on  the  earth.  Nat- 
urally gay,  he  would  double-lock  himself  in  when  he 
wished  to  laugh.  He  was  witty ;  but  if  a  bright  sally 
escaped  him,  you  may  be  sure  he  repented  of  it.  Body 
and  soul  he  gave  to  his  vocation ;  and  no  one  could 
bring  more  conscientiousness  to  the  discharge  of  what 
he  thought  to  be  his  duty.  He  was  also  inflexible.  It 
was  monstrous,  in  his  eyes,  to  discuss  an  article  of  the 
code.  The  law  spoke ;  it  was  enough ;  he  shut  his 
eyes,  covered  his  ears,  and  obeyed. 

From  the  day  when  a  legal  investigation  com- 
menced, he  did  not  sleep,  and  he  employed  every  means 
to  discover  the  truth.  Yet  he  was  not  regarded  as  a 
good  judge  of  instruction ;  to  contend  by  tricks  with 
a  prisoner  was  repugnant  to  him  ;  to  lay  a  snare  for  a 
rogue  he  thought  debasing ;  in  short,  he  was  obstinate 
— obstinate  to  foolishness,  sometimes  to  absurdity, 
even  to  denying  the  existence  of  the  sun  at  mid-day. 

The  mayor  and  Papa  Plantat  hastened  to  meet  M. 
Domini.  He  bowed  to  them  gravely,  as  if  he  had  not 
known  them,  and  presenting  to  them  a  man  of  some 
sixty  years  who  accompanied  him : 

"  Messieurs,"  said  he,  "  this  is  Doctor  Gendron." 

Papa  Plantat  shook  hands  with  the  doctor;  the 
mayor  smiled  graciously  at  him,  for  Dr.  Gendron 
was  well-known  in  those  parts ;  he  was  even  celebrated, 
despite  the  nearness  of  Paris.  Loving  his  art  and  ex- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL         23 

erasing  it  with  a  passionate  energy,  he  yet  owed  his 
renown  less  to  his  science  than  nis  manners.  People 
said :  "  He  is  an  original ;  "  they  admired  his  affecta- 
tion of  independence,  of  scepticism,  and  rudeness. 
He  made  his  visits  from  five  to  nine  in  the  morning — 
all  the  worse  for  those  for  whom  these  hours  were  in- 
convenient. After  nine  o'clock  the  doctor  was  not  to 
be  had.  The  doctor  was  working  for  himself,  the  doc- 
tor was  in  his  laboratory,  the  doctor  was  inspecting  his 
cellar.  It  was  rumored  that  he  sought  for  secrets  of 
practical  chemistry,  to  augment  still  more  his  twenty 
thousand  livres  of  income.  And  he  did  not  deny  it; 
for  in  truth  he  was  engaged  on  poisons,  and  was  per- 
fecting an  invention  by  which  could  be  discovered 
traces  of  all  the  alkaloids  which  up  to  that  time  had 
escaped  analysis.  If  his  friends  reproached  him,  even 
jokingly,  on  sending  away  sick  people  in  the  afternoon, 
he  grew  red  with  rage. 

"  Parbleu !  "  he  answered,  "  I  find  you  superb !  I  am 
a  doctor  four  hours  in  the  day.  I  am  paid  by  hardly  a 
quarter  of  my  patients — that's  three  hours  I  give  daily 
to  humanity,  which  I  despise.  Let  each  of  you  do  as 
much,  and  we  shall  see." 

The  mayor  conducted  the  new-comers  into  the 
drawing-room,  where  he  installed  himself  to  write 
down  the  results  of  his  examination. 

"  What  a  misfortune  for  my  town,  this  crime !  "  said 
he  to  M.  Domini.  "  What  shame !  Orcival  has  lost  its 
reputation." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  affair,"  returned  the  judge. 
"  The  gendarme  who  went  for  me  knew  little  about  it." 

M.  Courtois  recounted  at  length  what  his  investiga- 
tion had  discovered,  not  forgetting  the  minutest  detail, 
dwelling  especially  on  the  excellent  precautions  which 


24          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

he  had  had  the  sagacity  to  take.  He  told  how  the  con- 
duct of  the  Bertauds  had  at  first  awakened  his  sus- 
picions ;  how  he  had  detected  them,  at  least  in  a  point- 
blank  lie ;  how,  finally,  he  had  determined  to  arrest 
them.  He  spoke  standing,  his  head  thrown  back,  with 
wordy  emphasis.  The  pleasure  of  speaking  partially 
rewarded  him  for  his  recent  distress. 

"  And  now,"  he  concluded,  "  I  have  just  ordered  the 
most  exact  search,  so  that  doubtless  we  shah  find  the 
count's  body.  Five  men,  detailed  by  me,  and  all  the 
people  of  the  house,  are  searching  the  park.  If  their 
efforts  are  not  crowned  with  success,  I  have  here  some 
fishermen  who  will  drag  the  river." 

M.  Domini  held  his  tongue,  only  nodding  his  head 
from  time  to  time,  as  a  sign  of  approbation.  He  was 
studying,  weighing  the  details  told  him,  building  up  in 
his  mind  a  plan  of  proceeding. 

"  You  have  acted  wisely,"  said  he,  at  last.  "  The 
misfortune  is  a  great  one,  but  I  agree  with  you  that  we 
are  on  the  track  of  the  criminals.  These  poachers,  or 
the  gardener  who  has  disappeared,  have  something, 
perhaps,  to  do  with  this  abominable  crime." 

Already,  for  some  minutes,  M.  Plantat  had  rather 
awkwardly  concealed  some  signs  of  impatience. 

"  The  misfortune  is,"  said  he,  "  that  if  Guespin  is 
guilty,  he  will  not  be  such  a  fool  as  to  show  himself 
here." 

"  Oh,  we'll  find  him,"  returned  M.  Domini.  "  Be- 
fore leaving  Corbeil,  I  sent  a  despatch  to  the  prefecture 
of  police  at  Paris,  to  ask  for  a  police  agent,  who  will 
doubtless  be  here  shortly." 

"  While  waiting,"  proposed  the  mayor,  "  perhaps 
you  would  like  to  see  the  scene  of  the  crime  ? " 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          25 

M.  Domini  made  a  motion  as  if  to  rise;  then  sat 
down  again. 

"  In  fact,  no,"  said  he ;  "  we  will  see  nothing  till  the 
agent  arrives.  But  I  must  have  some  information  con- 
cerning the  Count  and  Countess  de  Tremorel." 

The  worthy  mayor  again  triumphed. 

"  Oh,  I  can  give  it  to  you,"  answered  he  quickly, 
"  better  than  anybody.  Ever  since  their  advent  here, 
I  may  say,  I  have  been  one  of  their  best  friends.  Ah, 
sir,  what  charming  people !  excellent,  and  affable,  and 
devoted " 

And  at  the  remembrance  of  all  his  friends'  good 
qualities,  M.  Courtois  choked  in  his  utterance. 

"  The  Count  de  Tremorel,"  he  resumed,  "  was  a  man 
of  thirty-four  years,  handsome,  witty  to  the  tips  of  his 
nails.  He  had  sometimes,  however,  periods  of  mel- 
ancholy, during  which  he  did  not  wish  to  see  anybody ; 
but  he  was  ordinarily  so  affable,  so  polite,  so  obliging ; 
he  knew  so  well  how  to  be  noble  without  haughtiness, 
that  everybody  here  esteemed  and  loved  him." 

"  And  the  countess  ?  "  asked  the  judge  of  instruction. 

"  An  angel,  Monsieur,  an  angel  on  earth !  Poor 
lady !  You  will  soon  see  her  remains,  and  surely  you 
would  not  guess  that  she  has  been  the  queen  of  the 
country,  by  reason  of  her  beauty." 

"Were  they  rich?" 

"  Yes ;  they  must  have  had,  together,  more  than  a 
hundred  thousand  francs  income — oh,  yes,  much 
more ;  for  within  five  or  six  months  the  count,  who 
had  not  the  bucolic  tastes  of  poor  Sauvresy,  sold  some 
lands  to  buy  consols." 

"  Have  they  been  married  long  ?  " 

M.  Courtois  scratched  his  head ;  it  was  his  appeal  to 
memory. 


26         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Faith,"  he  answered,  "  it  was  in  September  of  last 
year;  just  six  months  ago.  I  married  them  myself. 
Poor  Sauvresy  had  been  dead  a  year." 

The  judge  of  instruction  looked  up  from  his  notes 
with  a  surprised  air. 

"  Who  is  this  Sauvresy,"  he  inquired,  "  of  whom  you 
speak?" 

Papa  Plantat,  who  was  furiously  biting  his  nails  in  a 
corner,  apparently  a  stranger  to  what  was  passing,  rose 
abruptly. 

"  Monsieur  Sauvresy,"  said  he,  "  was  the  first  hus- 
band of  Madame  de  Tremorel.  My  friend  Courtois 
has  omitted  this  fact." 

"  Oh !  "  said  the  mayor,  in  a  wounded  tone,  "  it 
seems  to  me  that  under  present  circumstances " 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  the  judge.  "  It  is  a  detail 
such  as  may  well  become  valuable,  though  apparently 
foreign  to  the  case,  and  at  the  first  view,  insignificant." 

"  Hum !  "  grunted  Papa  Plantat.  "  Insignificant — 
foreign  to  it !  " 

His  tone  was  so  singular,  his  air  so  strange,  that  M. 
Domini  was  struck  by  it. 

"  Do  you  share,"  he  asked,  "  the  opinion  of  the 
mayor  regarding  the  Tremorels  ?  " 

Plantat  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  haven't  any  opinions,"  he  answered :  "  I  live 
alone — see  nobody;  don't  disturb  myself  about  any- 
thing. But " 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  M.  Courtois,  "  that  nobody 
should  be  better  acquainted  with  people  who  were  my 
friends  than  I  myself." 

"  Then,  you  are  telling  the  story  clumsily,"  said  M. 
Plantat,  dryly. 

The  judge  of  instruction  pressed  him  to  explain  him- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          27 

self.  So  M.  Plantat,  without  more  ado,  to  the  great 
scandal  of  the  mayor,  who  was  thus  put  into  the  back- 
ground, proceeded  to  dilate  upon  the  main  features  of 
the  count's  and  countess's  biography. 

"  The  Countess  de  Tremorel,  nee  Bertha  Lechaillu, 
was  the  daughter  of  a  poor  village  school-master.  At 
eighteen,  her  beauty  was  famous  for  three  leagues 
around,  but  as  she  only  had  for  dowry  her  great  blue 
eyes  and  blond  ringlets,  but  few  serious  lovers  present- 
ed themselves.  Already  Bertha,  by  advice  of  her  fami- 
ly, had  resigned  herself  to  take  a  place  as  a  governess 
— a  sad  position  for  so  beautiful  a  maid — when  the  heir 
of  one  of  the  richest  domains  in  the  neighborhood  hap- 
pened to  see  her,  and  fell  in  love  with  her. 

"  Clement  Sauvresy  was  just  thirty ;  he  had  no  longer 
any  family,  and  possessed  nearly  a  hundred  thousand 
livres  income  from  lands  absolutely  free  of  incum- 
brance.  Clearly,  he  had  the  best  right  in  the  world  to 
choose  a  wife  to  his  taste.  He  did  not  hesitate.  He 
asked  for  Bertha's  hand,  won  it,  and,  a  month  after, 
wedded  her  at  mid-day,  to  the  great  scandal  of  the 
neighboring  aristocracy,  who*  went  about  saying: 
'  What  folly !  what  good  is  there  in  being  rich,  if  it  is 
not  to  double  one's  fortune  by  a  good  marriage ! ' 

"  Nearly  a  month  before  the  marriage,  Sauvresy  set 
the  laborers  to  work  at  Valfeuillu,  and  in  no  long  time 
had  spent,  in  repairs  and  furniture,  a  trifle  of  thirty 
thousand  crowns.  The  newly  married  pair  chose  this 
beautiful  spot  in  which  to  spend  their  honeymoon. 
They  were  so  well-contented  there  that  they  estab- 
lished themselves  permanently  at  Valfeuillu,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  the  neighborhood. 

"  Bertha  was  one  of  those  persons,  it  seemed,  who  are 
born  especially  to  marry  millionnaires.  Without  awk- 


28          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

wardness  or  embarrassment,  she  passed  easily  from  the 
humble  school-room,  where  she  had  assisted  her  father, 
to  the  splendid  drawing-room  of  Valfeuillu.  And 
when  she  did  the  honors  of  her  chateau  to  all  the 
neighboring  aristocracy,  it  seemed  as  though  she  had 
never  done  anything  else.  She  knew  how  to  remain 
simple,  approachable,  modest,  all  the  while  that  she 
took  the  tone  of  the  highest  society.  She  was  beloved." 

"  But  it  appears  to  me,"  interrupted  the  mayor,  "that 
I  said  the  same  thing,  and  it  was  really  not  worth 
while " 

A  gesture  from  M.  Domini  closed  his  mouth,  and  M. 
Plantat  continued : 

"  Sauvresy  was  also  liked,  for  he  was  one  of  those 
golden  hearts  which  know  not  how  to  suspect  evil.  He 
was  one  of  those  men  with  a  robust  faith,  with  obstinate 
illusions,  whom  doubts  never  disturb.  He  was  one 
of  those  who  thoroughly  confide  in  the  sincerity  of  their 
friends,  in  the  love  of  their  mistresses.  This  new  do- 
mestic household  ought  to  be  happy ;  it  was  so.  Bertha 
adored  her  husband — that  frank  man,  who,  before 
speaking  to  her  a  word  of  love,  offered  her  his  hand. 
Sauvresy  professed  for  his  wife  a  worship  which  few 
thought  foolish.  They  lived  in  great  style  at  Valfeuillu. 
They  received  a  great  deal.  When  autumn  came  all 
the  numerous  spare  chambers  were  filled.  The  turn- 
outs were  magnificent. 

"  Sauvresy  had  been  married  two  years,  when  one 
evening  he  brought  from  Paris  one  of  his  old  and  inti- 
mate friends,  a  college  comrade  of  whom  he  had  often 
spoken,  Count  Hector  de  Tremorel.  The  count  in- 
tended to  remain  but  a  short  time  at  Valfeuillu ;  but 
weeks  passed  and  then  months,  and  he  still  remained. 
It  was  not  surprising.  Hector  had  passed  a  very 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          29 

stormy  youth,  full  of  debauchery,  of  clubs,  of  gambling, 
and  of  amours.  He  had  thrown  to  the  winds  of  his 
caprices  an  immense  fortune ;  the  relatively  calm  life 
of  Valfeuillu  was  a  relief.  At  first  people  said  to  him, 
'  You  will  soon  have  enough  of  the  country.'  He 
smiled,  but  said  nothing.  It  was  then  thought,  and 
rightly,  perhaps,  that  having  become  poor,  he  cared 
little  to  display  his  ruin  before  those  who  had  obscured 
his  splendor.  He  absented  himself  rarely,  and  then 
only  to  go  to  Corbeil,  almost  always  on  foot.  There 
he  frequented  the  Belle  Image  hotel,  the  best  in  the 
town,  and  met,  as  if  by  chance,  a  young  lady  from  Paris. 
They  spent  the  afternoon  together,  and  separated  when 
the  last  train  left." 

"  Peste !  "  growled  the  mayor,  "  for  a  man  who  lives 
alone,  who  sees  nobody,  who  would  not  for  the  world 
have  anything  to  do  with  other  people's  business,  it 
seems  to  me  our  dear  Monsieur  Plantat  is  pretty  well 
informed." 

Evidently  M.  Courtois  was  jealous.  How  was  it 
that  he,  the  first  personage  in  the  place,  had  been  abso- 
lutely ignorant  of  these  meetings  ?  His  ill-humor  was 
increasing,  when  Dr.  Gendron  answered : 

"  Pah !  all  Corbeil  prated  about  that  at  the  time." 

M.  Plantat  made  a  movement  with  his  lips  as  if  to 
say,  "  I  know  other  things  besides."  He  went  on,  how- 
ever, with  his  story. 

"  The  visit  of  Count  Hector  made  no  change  in  the 
habits  at  the  chateau.  Monsieur  and  Madame  Sau- 
vresy  had  a  brother;  that  was  all.  Sauvresy  at  this 
time  made  several  journeys  to  Paris,  where,  as  every- 
body knew,  he  was  engaged  in  arranging  his  friend's 
affairs. 

"  This  charming  existence  lasted  a  year.    Happiness 


30          THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

seemed  to  be  fixed  forever  beneath  the  delightful  shades 
of  Valfeuillu.  But  alas !  one  evening  on  returning  from 
the  hunt,  Sauvresy  became  so  ill  that  he  was  forced  to 
take  to  his  bed.  A  doctor  was  called ;  inflammation  of 
the  chest  had  set  in.  Sauvresy  was  young,  vigorous  as 
an  oak ;  his  state  did  not  at  first  cause  anxiety.  A  fort- 
night afterward,  in  fact,  he  was  up  and  about.  But  he 
was  imprudent  and  had  a  relapse.  He  again  nearly 
recovered ;  a  week  afterward  there  was  another  relapse, 
and  this  time  so  serious,  that  a  fatal  end  of  his  illness 
was  foreseen.  During  this  long  sickness,  the  love  of 
Bertha  and  the  affection  of  Tremorel  for  Sauvresy  were 
tenderly  shown.  Never  was  an  invalid  tended  with 
such  solicitude — surrounded  with  so  many  proofs  of 
the  purest  devotion.  His  wife  and  his  friend  were  al- 
ways at  his  couch,  night  and  day.  He  had  hours  of 
suffering,  but  never  a  second  of  weariness.  He  re- 
peated to  all  who  went  to  see  him,  that  he  had  come  to 
bless  his  illness.  He  said  to  himself, '  If  I  had  not  fallen 
ill,  I  should  never  have  known  how  much  I  was  be- 
loved.' " 

"  He  said  the  same  thing  to  me,"  interrupted  the 
mayor,  "  more  than  a  hundred  times.  He  also  said  so 
to  Madame  Courtois,  to  Laurence,  my  eldest  daugh- 
ter  " 

"  Naturally,"  continued  M.  Plantat.  "  But  Sau- 
vresy's  distemper  was  one  against  which  the  science  of 
the  most  skilful  physicians  and  the  most  constant  care 
contend  in  vain. 

"  He  said  that  he  did  not  suffer  much,  but  he  faded 
perceptibly,  and  was  no  more  than  the  shadow  of  his 
former  self.  At  last,  one  night,  toward  two  or  three 
o'clock,  he  died  in  the  arms  of  his  wife  and  his  friend. 
Up  to  the  last  moment,  he  had  preserved  the  full  force 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          31 

of  his  faculties.  Less  than  an  hour  before  expiring, 
he  wished  everyone  to  be  awakened,  and  that  all  the 
servants  of  the  castle  should  be  summoned.  When  they 
were  all  gathered  about  the  bedside,  he  took  his  wife's 
hand,  placed  it  in  that  of  the  Count  de  Tremorel,  and 
made  them  swear  to  marry  each  other  when  he  was  no 
more.  Bertha  and  Hector  began  to  protest,  but  he  in- 
sisted in  such  a  manner  as  to  compel  assent,  praying 
and  adjuring  them,  and  declaring  that  their  refusal 
would  embitter  his  last  moments.  This  idea  of  the 
marriage  between  his  widow  and  his  friend  seems,  be- 
sides, to  have  singularly  possessed  his  thoughts  toward 
the  close  of  his  life.  In  the  preamble  of  his  will,  dic- 
tated the  night  before  his  death,  to  M.  Bury,  notary  of 
Orcival,  he  says  formally  that  their  union  is  his  dearest 
wish,  certain  as  he  is  of  their  happiness,  and  knowing 
well  that  his  memory  will  be  piously  kept." 

"  Had  Monsieur  and  Madame  Sauvresy  no  chil- 
dren? "  asked  the  judge  of  instruction. 

"  No,"  answered  the  mayor. 

M.  Plantat  continued: 

"  The  grief  of  the  count  and  the  young  widow  was 
intense.  M.  de  Tremorel,  especially,  seemed  abso- 
lutely desperate,  and  acted  like  a  madman.  The  coun- 
tess shut  herself  up,  forbidding  even  those  whom  she 
loved  best  from  entering  her  chamber — even  Madame 
Courtois.  When  the  count  and  Madame  Bertha  re- 
appeared, they  were  scarcely  to  be  recognized,  so  much 
had  both  changed.  Monsieur  Hector  seemed  to  have 
grown  twenty  years  older.  Would  they  keep  the  oath 
made  at  the  death-bed  of  Sauvresy,  of  which  everyone 
was  apprised  ?  This  was  asked  with  all  the  more  curi- 
osity, because  their  profound  sorrow  for  a  man  who 
well  merited  it,  was  admired." 


32          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

The  judge  of  instruction  stopped  M.  Plantat  with  a 
motion  of  his  hand. 

"  Do  you  know,"  asked  he,  "  whether  the  rendez- 
vous at  the  Hotel  Belle  Image  had  ceased  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,  sir;  I  think  so." 

"  I  am  almost  sure  of  it,"  said  Dr.  Gendron.  "  I 
have  often  heard  it  said — they  know  everything  at  Cor- 
beil — that  there  was  a  heated  explanation  between 
M.  de  Tremorel  and  the  pretty  Parisian  lady.  After 
this  quarrel,  they  were  no  longer  seen  at  the  Belle 
Image." 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  smiled. 

"  Melun  is  not  at  the  end  of  the  world,"  said  he, 
"  and  there  are  hotels  at  Melun.  With  a  good  horse, 
one  is  soon  at  Fontainebleau,  at  Versailles,  even  at 
Paris.  Madame  de  Tremorel  might  have  been  jeal- 
ous; her  husband  had  some  first-rate  trotters  in  his 
stables." 

Did  M.  Plantat  give  an  absolutely  disinterested 
opinion,  or  did  he  make  an  insinuation?  The  judge 
of  instruction  looked  at  him  attentively,  to  reassure 
himself,  but  his  visage  expressed  nothing  but  a  pro- 
found serenity.  He  told  the  story  as  he  would  any 
other,  no  matter  what. 

"  Please  go  on,  Monsieur,"  resumed  M.  Domini. 

"  Alas !  "  said  M.  Plantat,  "  nothing  here  below  is 
eternal,  not  even  grief.  I  know  it  better  than  any- 
body. Soon,  to  the  tears  of  the  first  days,  to  violent 
despair,  there  succeeded,  in  the  count  and  Madame 
Bertha,  a  reasonable  sadness,  then  a  soft  melancholy. 
And  in  one  year  after  Sauvresy's  death  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel  espoused  his  widow." 

During  this  long  narrative  the  mayor  had  several 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          33 

times  exhibited  marks  of  impatience.  At  the  end,  be- 
ing able  to  hold  in  no  longer,  he  exclaimed : 

"  There,  those  are  surely  exact  details ;  but  I  ques- 
tion whether  they  have  advanced  us  a  step  in  this 
grave  matter  which  occupies  us  all — to  find  the  mur- 
derers of  the  count  and  countess." 

M.  Plantat,  at  these  words,  bent  on  the  judge  of  in- 
struction his  clear  and  deep  look,  as  if  to  search  his 
conscience  to  the  bottom. 

"  These  details  were  indispensable,"  returned  M. 
Domini,  "  and  they  are  very  clear.  Those  rendezvous 
at  the  hotel  struck  me ;  one  knows  not  to  what  extrem- 
ities jealousy  might  lead  a  woman " 

He  stopped  abruptly,  seeking,  no  doubt,  some  con- 
nection between  the  pretty  Parisian  and  the  murder- 
ers ;  then  resumed : 

"  Now  that  I  know  the  Tremorels  as  if  I  had  lived 
with  them  intimately,  let  us  proceed  to  the  actual 
facts." 

The  brilliant  eye  of  M.  Plantat  immediately  grew 
dim;  he  opened  his  lips  as  if  to  speak;  but  kept  his 
peace.  The  doctor  alone,  who  had  not  ceased  to  study 
the  old  justice  of  the  peace,  remarked  the  sudden 
change  of  his  features. 

"  It  only  remains,"  said  M.  Domini,  "  to  know  how 
the  new  couple  lived." 

M.  Courtois  thought  it  due  to  his  dignity  to  antici- 
pate M.  Plantat. 

"  You  ask  how  the  new  couple  lived,"  said  he  hasti- 
ly ;  "  they  lived  in  perfect  concord ;  nobody  knows  bet- 
ter about  it  than  I,  who  was  most  intimate  with  them. 
The  memory  of  poor  Sauvresy  was  a  bond  of  happi- 
ness between  them ;  if  they  liked  me  so  well,  it  was  be- 
cause I  often  talked  of  him.  Never  a  cloud,  never  a 


34         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

cross  word.  Hector — I  called  him  so,  familiarly,  this 
poor,  dear  count — gave  his  wife  the  tender  attentions 
of  a  lover ;  those  delicate  cares,  which  I  fear  most  mar- 
ried people  soon  dispense  with." 

"  And  the  countess  ?  "  asked  M.  Plantat,  in  a  tone 
too  marked  not  to  be  ironical. 

"  Bertha  ?  "  replied  the  worthy  mayor — "  she  per- 
mitted me  to  call  her  thus,  paternally — I  have  cited 
her  many  and  many  a  time  as  an  example  and  model, 
to  Madame  Courtois.  She  was  worthy  of  Hector  and 
of  Sauvresy,  the  two  most  worthy  men  I  have  ever 
met!" 

Then,  perceiving  that  his  enthusiasm  somewhat  sur- 
prised his  hearers,  he  added,  more  softly: 

"  I  have  my  reasons  for  expressing  myself  thus ;  and 
I  do  not  hesitate  to  do  so  before  men  whose  profession 
and  character  will  justify  my  discretion.  Sauvresy, 
when  living,  did  me  a  great  service — when  I  was  forced 
to  take  the  mayoralty.  As  for  Hector,  I  knew  well 
that  he  had  departed  from  the  dissipations  of  his  youth, 
and  thought  I  discerned  that  he  was  not  indifferent  to 
my  eldest  daughter,  Laurence ;  and  I  dreamed  of  a 
marriage  all  the  more  proper,  as,  if  the  Count  Hector 
had  a  great  name,  I  would  give  to  my  daughter  a  dowry 
large  enough  to  gild  any  escutcheon.  Only  events 
modified  my  projects." 

The  mayor  would  have  gone  on  singing  the  praises 
of  the  Tremorels,  and  his  own  family,  if  the  judge  of 
instruction  had  not  interposed. 

"  Here  I  am  fixed,"  he  commenced,  "  now,  it  seems 
to  me " 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  loud  noise  in  the  vestibule. 
It  seemed  like  a  struggle,  and  cries  and  shouts  reached 
the  drawing-room.  Everybody  rose. 


THE  MYSTERY  DP   ORCIVAL         35 

"  I  know  what  it  is,"  said  the  mayor,  "  only  too  well. 
They  have  just  found  the  body  of  the  Count  de  Tre- 
morel." 


IV 

The  mayor  was  mistaken.  The  drawing-room  door 
opened  suddenly,  and  a  man  of  slender  form,  who  was 
struggling  furiously,  and  with  an  energy  which  would 
not  have  been  suspected,  appeared,  held  on  one  side 
by  a. gendarme,  and  on  the  other  by  a  domestic. 

The  struggle  had  already  lasted  long,  and  his  clothes 
were  in  great  disorder.  His  new  coat  was  torn,  his 
cravat  floated  in  strips,  the  button  of  his  collar  had 
been  wrenched  off,  and  his  open  shirt  left  his  breast 
bare.  In  the  vestibule  and  court  were  heard  the  fran- 
tic cries  of  the  servants  and  the  curious  crowd — of 
whom  there  were  more  than  a  hundred,  whom  the  news 
of  the  crime  had  collected  about  the  gate,  and  who 
burned  to  hear,  and  above  all  to  see. 

This  enraged  crowd  cried: 

"  It  is  he !  Death  to  the  assassin !  It  is  Guespin ! 
See  him !  " 

And  the  wretch,  inspired  by  an  immense  fright,  con- 
tinued to  struggle. 

"  Help !  "  shouted  he  hoarsely.  "  Leave  me  alone. 
I  am  innocent !  " 

He  had  posted  himself  against  the  drawing-room 
door,  and  they  could  not  force  him  forward. 

"  Push  him,"  ordered  the  mayor,  "  push  him." 

It  was  easier  to  command  than  to  execute.  Terror 
lent  to  Guespin  enormous  force.  But  it  occurred  to 
the  doctor  to  open  the  second  wing  of  the  door;  the 
support  failed  the  wretch,  and  he  fell,  or  rather  rolled 


36         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL* 

at  the  foot  of  the  table  at  which  the  judge  of  instruc- 
tion was  seated.  He  was  straightway  on  his  feet  again, 
and  his  eyes  sought  a  chance  to  escape.  Seeing  none 
— for  the  windows  and  doors  were  crowded  with  the 
lookers-on — he  fell  into  a  chair.  The  fellow  appeared 
the  image  of  terror,  wrought  up  to  paroxysm.  On  his 
livid  face,  black  and  blue,  were  visible  the  marks  of 
the  blows  he  had  received  in  the  struggle ;  his  white 
lips  trembled,  and  he  moved  his  jaws  as  if  he  sought 
a  little  saliva  for  his  burning  tongue ;  his  staring  eyes 
were  bloodshot,  and  expressed  the  wildest  distress ;  his 
body  was  bent  with  convulsive  spasms.  So  terrible 
was  this  spectacle,  that  the  mayor  thought  it  might  be 
an  example  of  great  moral  force.  He  turned  toward 
the  crowd,  and  pointing  to  Guespin,  said  in  a  tragic 
tone: 

"  See  what  crime  is !  " 

The  others  exchanged  surprised  looks. 

"  If  he  is  guilty,"  muttered  M.  Plantat,  "  why  on 
earth  has  he  returned  ?  " 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  the  crowd  was  kept  back ; 
the  brigadier  was  forced  to  call  in  the  aid  of  his  men. 
Then  he  returned  and  placed  himself  beside  Guespin, 
thinking  it  not  prudent  to  leave  him  alone  with  un- 
armed men. 

But  the  man  was  little  to  be  feared.  The  reaction 
came ;  his  over-excited  energy  became  exhausted,  his 
strained  muscles  flaccid,  and  his  prostration  resembled 
the  agony  of  brain  fever.  Meanwhile  the  brigadier 
recounted  what  had  happened. 

"  Some  of  the  servants  of  the  chateau  and  the  neigh- 
boring houses  were  chatting  near  the  gate,  about  the 
crime,  and  the  disappearance  of  Guespin  last  night, 
when  all  of  a  sudden,  someone  perceived  him  at  a  dis- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          37 

tance,  staggering,  and  singing  boisterously,  as  if  he 
were  drunk." 

"  Was  he  really  drunk  ?  "  asked  M.  Domini. 

"  Very,"  returned  the  brigadier. 

"  Then  we  owe  it  to  the  wine  that  we  have  caught 
him,  and  thus  all  will  be  explained." 

"  On  perceiving  this  wretch,"  pursued  the  gen- 
darme, who  seemed  not  to  have  the  shadow  of  a  doubt 
of  Guespin's  guilt,  "  Frangois,  the  count's  valet  de 
chambre,  and  Baptiste,  the  mayor's  servant,  who  were 
there,  hastened  to  meet  him,  and  seized  him.  He  was 
so  tipsy  that  he  thought  they  were  fooling  with  him. 
When  he  saw  my  men,  he  was  undeceived.  Just  then 
one  of  the  women  cried  out,  '  Brigand,  it  was  you  who 
have  this  night  assassinated  the  count  and  the  count- 
ess ! '  He  immediately  became  paler  than  death,  and 
remained  motionless  and  dumb.  Then  he  began  to 
struggle  so  violently  that  he  nearly  escaped.  Ah !  he's 
strong,  the  rogue,  although  he  does  not  look  like  it." 

"  And  he  said  nothing?  "  said  Plantat. 

"  Not  a  word ;  his  teeth  were  so  tightly  shut  with 
rage  that  I'm  sure  he  couldn't  say  '  bread.'  But  we've 
got  him.  I've  searched  him,  and  this  is  what  I  have 
found  in  his  pockets :  a  handkerchief,  a  pruning-knife, 
two  small  keys,  a  scrap  of  paper  covered  with  figures, 
and  an  address  of  the  establishment  of  '  Vulcan's 
Forges.'  But  that's  not  all " 

The  brigadier  took  a  step,  and  eyed  his  auditors 
mysteriously ;  he  was  preparing  his  effect. 

"  That's  not  all.  While  they  were  bringing  him 
along  in  the  court-yard,  he  tried  to  get  rid  of  his  wal- 
let. Happily  I  had  my  eyes  open,  and  saw  the  dodge. 
I  picked  up  the  wallet,  which  he  had  thrown  among 
the  flowers  near  the  door ;  here  it  is.  In  it  are  a  one- 


38          THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

hundred-franc  note,  three  napoleons,  and  seven  francs 
in  change.  Yesterday  the  rascal  hadn't  a  sou " 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  "  asked  M.  Domini. 

"  Dame !  Monsieur  Judge,  he  borrowed  of  the  valet 
Franqois  (who  told  me  of  it)  twenty-five  francs,  pre- 
tending that  it  was  to  pay  his  share  of  the  wedding 
expenses." 

"  Tell  Francois  to  come  here,"  said  the  judge  of  in- 
struction. "  Now,  sir,"  he  continued,  when  the  valet 
presented  himself,  "  do  you  know  whether  Guespin  had 
any  money  yesterday  ?  " 

"  He  had  so  little,  Monsieur,"  answered  Franqois 
promptly,  "  that  he  asked  me  to  lend  him  twenty-five 
francs  during  the  day,  saying  that  otherwise  he  could 
not  go  to  the  wedding,  not  having  enough  even  to  pay 
his  railway  fare." 

"  But  he  might  have  some  savings — a  hundred-franc 
note,  for  instance,  which  he  didn't  like  to  change." 

Francois  shook  his  head  with  an  incredulous  smile. 

"  Guespin  isn't  the  man  to  have  savings,"  said  he. 
"  Women  and  cards  exhaust  all  his  wages.  No  longer 
ago  than  last  week,  the  keeper  of  the  Cafe  du  Com- 
merce came  here  and  made  a  row  on  account  of  what 
he  owed  him,  and  threatened  to  go  to  the  count  about 
it." 

Perceiving  the  effect  of  what  he  said,  the  valet,  as  if 
to  correct  himself,  hastened  to  add : 

"  I  have  no  ill-will  toward  Guespin ;  before  to-day 
I've  always  considered  him  a  clever  fellow,  though  he 
was  too  much  of  a  practical  joker ;  he  was,  perhaps,  a 
little  proud,  considering  his  bringing  up " 

"  You  may  go,"  said  the  judge,  cutting  the  disquisi- 
tion of  M.  Francois  short ;  the  valet  retired. 

During  this  colloquy,  Guespin  had  little  by  little 


39 

come  to  himself.  The  judge  of  instruction,  Plantat, 
and  the  mayor  narrowly  watched  the  play  of  his  coun- 
tenance, which  he  had  not  the  coolness  to  compose, 
while  the  doctor  held  his  pulse  and  counted  its  beat- 
ing. 

"  Remorse,  and  fear  of  punishment,"  muttered  the 
mayor. 

"  Innocence,  and  the  impossibility  of  proving  it,"  re- 
sponded Plantat  in  a  low  tone. 

M.  Domini  heard  both  these  exclamations,  but  did 
not  appear  to  take  notice  of  them.  His  opinion  was 
not  formed,  and  he  did  not  wish  that  anyone  should 
be  able  to  foretell,  by  any  word  of  his,  what  it  would 
be. 

"  Are  you  better,  my  friend  ?  "  asked  Dr.  Gendron, 
of  Guespin. 

The  poor  fellow  made  an  affirmative  sign.  Then, 
having  looked  around  with  the  anxious  glance  of  a 
man  who  calculates  a  precipice  over  which  he  has  fall- 
en, he  passed  his  hand  across  his  eyes  and  stammered : 

"  Something  to  drink !  " 

A  glass  of  water  was  brought,  and  he  drank  it  at  a 
draught,  with  an  expression  of  intense  satisfaction. 
Then  he  got  upon  his  feet. 

"  Are  you  now  in  a  fit  state  to  answer  me  ?  "  asked 
the  judge. 

Guespin  staggered  a  little,  then  drew  himself  up. 
He  continued  erect  before  the  judge,  supporting  him- 
self against  a  table.  The  nervous  trembling  of  his 
hands  diminished,  the  blood  returned  to  his  cheeks, 
and  as  he  listened,  he  arranged  the  disorder  of  his 
clothes. 

"  You  know  the  events  of  this  night,  don't  you  ?  " 
commenced  the  judge ;  "  the  Count  and  Countess  de 


40          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Tremorel  have  been  murdered.  You  went  away  yes- 
terday with  all  the  servants  of  the  chateau;  you  left 
them  at  the  Lyons  station  about  nine  o'clock ;  you  have 
just  returned,  alone.  Where  have  you  passed  the 
night?" 

Guespin  hung  his  head  and  remained  silent. 

"  That  is  not  all,"  continued  M.  Domini ;  "  yester- 
day you  had  no  money,  the  fact  is  well  known ;  one  of 
your  fellow-servants  has  just  proved  it.  To-day,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  francs  are  found  in  your  wal- 
let. Where  did  you  get  this  money  ?  " 

The  unhappy  creature's  lip  moved  as  if  he  wished 
to  answer ;  a  sudden  thought  seemed  to  check  him,  for 
he  did  not  speak. 

"  More  yet.  What  is  this  card  of  a  hardware  estab- 
lishment that  has  been  found  in  your  pocket?  " 

Guespin  made  a  sign  of  desperation,  and  stammered : 

"  I  am  innocent." 

"  I  have  not  as  yet  accused  you,"  said  the  judge  of 
instruction,  quickly.  "  You  knew,  perhaps,  that  the 
count  received  a  considerable  sum  yesterday  ?  " 

A  bitter  smile  parted  Guespin's  lips  as  he  answered : 

"  I  know  well  enough  that  everything  is  against  me." 

There  was  a  profound  silence.  The  doctor,  the 
mayor,  and  Plantat,  seized  with  a  keen  curiosity,  dared 
not  move.  Perhaps  nothing  in  the  world  is  more 
thrilling  than  one  of  these  merciless  duels  between 
justice  and  a  man  suspected  of  a  crime.  The  questions 
may  seem  insignificant,  the  answers  irrelevant;  both 
questions  and  answers  envelop  terrible,  hidden  mean- 
ings. The  smallest  gesture,  the  most  rapid  movement 
of  physiognomy  may  acquire  deep  significance,  a 
fugitive  light  in  the  eye  betray  an  advantage  gained; 


an  imperceptible  change  in  the  voice  may  be  confes- 
sion. 

The  coolness  of  M.  Domini  was  disheartening. 

"  Let  us  see/'  said  he  after  a  pause :  "  where  did  you 
pass  the  night  ?  How  did  you  get  this  money  ?  And 
what  does  this  address  mean  ?  " 

"  Eh !  "  cried  Guespin,  with  the  rage  of  powerless- 
ness,  "  I  should  tell  you  what  you  would  not  believe." 

The  judge  was  about  to  ask  another  question,  but 
Guespin  cut  him  short. 

"  No ;  you  wouldn't  believe  me,"  he  repeated,  his 
eyes  glistening  with  anger.  "  Do  men  like  you  be- 
lieve men  like  me  ?  I  have  a  past,  you  know,  of  ante- 
cedents, as  you  would  say.  The  past !  They  throw 
that  in  my  face,  as  if  the  future  depended  on  the  past. 
Well,  yes;  it's  true,  I'm  a  debauchee,  a  gambler,  a 
drunkard,  an  idler,  but  what  of  it?  It's  true  I  have 
been  before  the  police  court,  and  condemned  for  night 
poaching — what  does  that  prove?  I  have  wasted  my 
life,  but  whom  have  I  wronged  if  not  myself?  My 
past !  Have  I  not  sufficiently  expiated  it  ?  " 

Guespin  was  self-possessed,  and  finding  in  himself 
sensations  which  awoke  a  sort  of  eloquence,  he  ex- 
pressed himself  with  a  savage  energy  well  calculated 
to  strike  his  hearers. 

"  I  have  not  always  served  others,"  he  continued ; 
"  my  father  was  in  easy  circumstances — almost  rich. 
He  had  large  gardens,  near  Saumur,  and  he  passed  for 
one  of  the  best  gardeners  of  that  region.  I  was  edu- 
cated, and  when  sixteen  years  old,  began  to  study  law. 
Four  years  later  they  thought  me  a  talented  youth. 
Unhappily  for  me,  my  father  died.  He  left  me  a  landed 
property  worth  a  hundred  thousand  francs :  I  sold  it 
out  for  sixty  thousand  and  went  to  Paris.  I  was  a  fool 


42          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

then.  I  had  the  fever  of  pleasure-seeking,  a  thirst  for 
all  sorts  of  pastimes,  perfect  health,  plenty  of  money. 
I  found  Paris  a  narrow  limit  for  my  vices ;  it  seemed 
to  me  that  the  objects  of  my  desires  were  wanting.  I 
thought  my  sixty  thousand  francs  would  last  forever." 

Guespin  paused;  a  thousand  memories  of  those 
times  rushed  into  his  thoughts  and  he  muttered: 
"  Those  were  good  times." 

"  My  sixty  thousand  francs,"  he  resumed,  "  held  out 
eight  years.  Then  I  hadn't  a  sou,  yet  I  longed  to  con- 
tinue my  way  of  living.  You  understand,  don't  you? 
About  this  time,  the  police,  one  night,  arrested  me.  I 
was  '  detained  '  six  months.  You  will  find  the  records 
of  the  affair  at  the  prefecture.  Do  you  know  what  it 
will  tell  you  ?  It  will  tell  you  that  on  leaving  prison  I 
fell  into  that  shameful  and  abominable  misery  which 
exists  in  Paris.  It  will  tell  you  that  I  have  lived  among 
the  worst  and  lowest  outcasts  of  Paris — and  it  is  the 
truth." 

The  worthy  mayor  was  filled  with  consternation. 

"  Good  Heaven !  "  thought  he,  "  what  an  audacious 
and  cynical  rascal !  and  to  think  that  one  is  liable  at 
any  time  to  admit  such  servants  into  his  house !  " 

The  judge  held  his  tongue.  He  knew  that  Guespin 
was  in  such  a  state  that,  under  the  irresistible  impulse 
of  passion,  he  might  betray  his  innermost  thoughts. 

"  But  there  is  one  thing,"  continued  the  suspected 
man,  "  that  the  record  will  not  tell  you ;  that,  disgusted 
with  this  abject  life,  I  was  tempted  to  suicide.  It  will 
not  tell  you  anything  of  my  desperate  attempts,  my  re- 
pentance, my  relapses.  At  last,  I  was  able  in  part  to 
reform.  I  got  work ;  and  after  being  in  four  situations, 
engaged  myself  here.  I  found  myself  well  off.  I  al- 
ways spent  my  month's  wages  in  advance,  it's  true — 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          43 

but  what  would  you  have?  And  ask  if  anyone  has 
ever  had  to  complain  of  me." 

It  is  well  known  that  among  the  most  intelligent 
criminals,  those  who  have  had  a  certain  degree  of  edu- 
cation, and  enjoyed  some  good  fortune,  are  the  most 
redoubtable.  According  to  this,  Guespin  was  decidedly 
dangerous.  So  thought  those  who  heard  him.  Mean- 
while, exhausted  by  his  excitement,  he  paused  and 
wiped  his  face,  covered  with  perspiration. 

M.  Domini  had  not  lost  sight  of  his  plan  of  attack. 

"  All  that  is  very  well,"  said  he,  "  we  will  return  to 
your  confession  at  the  proper  time  and  place.  But 
just  now  the  question  is,  how  you  spent  your  night, 
and  where  you  got  this  money." 

This  persistency  seemed  to  exasperate  Guespin. 

"  Eh !  "  cried  he,  "  how  do  you  want  me  to  answer? 
The  truth  ?  You  wouldn't  credit  it.  As  well  keep  si- 
lent. It  is  a  fatality." 

"  I  warn  you  for  your  own  sake,"  resumed  the  judge, 
"  that  if  you  persist  in  refusing  to  answer,  the  charges 
which  weigh  upon  you  are  such  that  I  will  have  you 
arrested  as  suspected  of  this  murder." 

This  menace  seemed  to  have  a  remarkable  effect  on 
Guespin.  Great  tears  filled  his  eyes,  up  to  that  time 
dry  and  flashing,  and  silently  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 
His  energy  was  exhausted ;  he  fell  on  his  knees,  cry- 
ing: 

"  Mercy !  I  beg  you,  Monsieur,  not  to  arrest  me ;  I 
swear  I  am  innocent,  I  swear  it !  " 

"  Speak,  then." 

"  You  wish  it,"  said  Guespin,  rising.  Then  he  sud- 
denly changed  his  tone.  "  No,  I  will  not  speak,  I  can- 
not !  One  man  alone  could  save  me ;  it  is  the  count ; 
and  he  is  dead.  I  am  innocent ;  yet  if  the  guilty  are 


44          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

not  found,  I  am  lost.  Everything  is  against  me.  I 
know  it  too  well.  Now,  do  with  me  as  you  please  ;  I 
will  not  say  another  word." 

Guespin's  determination,  confirmed  by  his  look,  did 
not  surprise  the  judge. 

"  You  will  reflect,"  said  he,  quietly,  "  only,  when  you 
have  reflected,  I  shall  not  have  the  same  confidence  in 
what  you  say  as  I  should  have  now.  Possibly,"  and 
fhe  judge  spoke  slowly  and  with  emphasis,  "  you  have 
only  had  an  indirect  part  in  this  crime ;  if  so " 

"  Neither  indirect  nor  direct,"  interrupted  Guespin ; 
and  he  added,  violently,  "  what  misery !  To  be  inno- 
cent, and  not  able  to  defend  myself." 

"  Since  it  is  so,"  resumed  M.  Domini,  "  you  should 
not  object  to  be  placed  before  Mme.  de  Tremorel's 
body?" 

The  accused  did  not  seem  affected  by  this  menace. 
He  was  conducted  into  the  hall  whither  they  had 
fetched  the  countess.  There,  he  examined  the  body 
with  a  cold  and  calm  eye.  He  said,  simply : 

"  She  is  happier  than  I ;  she  is  dead,  she  suffers  no 
longer ;  and  I,  who  am  not  guilty,  am  accused  of  her 
death." 

M.  Domini  made  one  more  effort. 

"  Come,  Guespin ;  if  in  any  way  you  know  of  this 
crime,  I  conjure  you,  tell  me.  If  you  know  the  mur- 
derers, name  them.  Try  to  merit  some  indulgence  for 
your  frankness  and  repentance." 

Guespin  made  a  gesture  as  if  resigned  to  persecu- 
tion. "  By  all  that  is  most  sacred,"  he  answered,  "  I 
am  innocent.  Yet  I  see  clearly  that  if  the  murderer  is 
not  found,  I  am  lost." 

Little  by  little  M.  Domini's  conviction  was  formed 
confirmed.  An  inquest  of  this  sort  is  not  so  diffi- 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          45 

cult  as  may  be  imagined.*  The  difficulty  is  to  seize  at 
the  beginning,  in  the  entangled  skein,  the  main  thread, 
which  must  lead  to  the  truth  through  all  the  mazes,  the 
ruses,  silence,  falsehoods  of  the  guilty.  M.  Domini 
was  certain  that  he  held  this  precious  thread.  Having 
one  of  the  assassins,  he  knew  well  that  he  would  secure 
the  others.  Our  prisons,  where  good  soup  is  eaten,  and 
good  beds  are  provided,  have  tongues,  as  well  as  the 
dungeons  of  the  mediaeval  ages. 

The  judge  ordered  the  brigadier  to  arrest  Guespin, 
and  told  him  not  to  lose  sight  of  him.  He  then  sent  for 
old  Bertaud.  This  worthy  personage  was  not  one  of 
the  people  who  worry  themselves.  He  had  had  so 
many  affairs  with  the  men  of  law,  that  one  inquisition 
the  more  disturbed  him  little. 

"  This  man  has  a  bad  reputation  in  my  commune," 
whispered  the  mayor  to  M.  Domini. 

Bertaud  heard  it,  however,  and  smiled. 

Questioned  by  the  judge  of  instruction,  he  recount- 
ed very  clearly  and  exactly  what  had  happened  in  the 
morning,  his  resistance,  and  his  son's  determination. 
He  explained  the  reason  for  the  falsehood  they  told ; 
and  here  again  the  chapter  of  antecedents  came  up. 

"  Look  here ;  I'm  better  than  my  reputation,  after 
all,"  said  he.  "  There  are  many  folks  who  can't  say 
as  much.  You  see  many  things  when  you  go  about  at 
night — enough." 

He  was  urged  to  explain  his  allusions,  but  in  vain. 

When  he  was  asked  where  and  how  he  had  passed 
the  night,  he  answered,  that  having  left  the  cabaret  at 
ten  o'clock,  he  went  to  put  down  some  traps  in  Mau- 
prevoir  wood ;  and  had  gone  home  and  to  bed  about 
one  o'clock. 


46          THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

"  By  the  bye,"  added  he,  "  there  ought  to  be  some 
game  in  those  traps  by  this  time." 

"  Can  you  bring  a  witness  to  prove  that  you  went 
home  at  one?  "  asked  the  mayor,  who  bethought  him 
of  the  count's  clock,  stopped  at  twenty  minutes  pas'x 
three. 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  carelessly  responded  the 
poacher,  "  it's  quite  likely  that  my  son  didn't  wake  up 
when  I  went  to  bed." 

He  added,  seeing  the  judge  reflect : 

"  I  suspect  that  you  are  going  to  imprison  me  until 
the  murderers  are  discovered.  If  it  was  winter,  I 
wouldn't  complain  much ;  a  fellow  is  well  off  in  prison 
then,  for  it's  warm  there.  But  just  at  the  time  for 
hunting,  it's  provoking.  It  will  be  a  good  lesson  for 
that  Philippe ;  it'll  teach  him  what  it  costs  to  render  a 
service  to  gentlefolks." 

"  Enough !  "  interrupted  M.  Domini,  sternly.  "  Do 
you  know  Guespin  ?  " 

This  name  suddenly  subdued  the  careless  insolence 
of  the  marauder;  his  little  gray  eyes  experienced  a 
singular  restlessness. 

"  Certainly,"  he  answered  in  an  embarrassed  tone, 
"  we  have  often  made  a  party  at  cards,  you  under- 
stand, while  sipping  our  '  gloria.'  "  * 

The  man's  inquietude  struck  the  four  who  heard 
him.  Plantat,  especially,  betrayed  profound  surprise. 
The  old  vagabond  was  too  shrewd  not  to  perceive  the 
effect  which  he  produced. 

"  Faith,  so  much  the  worse !  "  cried  he :   "  I'll  tell 

you  everything.     Every  man  for  himself,  isn't  it?     If 

Guespin  has  done  the  deed,  it  will  not  blacken  him  any 

more,  nor  make  him  any  the  worse  off.    I  know  him, 

*  Coffee  and  brandy. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          47 

simply  because  he  used  to  sell  me  the  grapes  and  straw- 
berries from  the  count's  conservatories ;  I  suppose  he 
stole  them ;  we  divided  the  money,  and  I  left." 

Plantat  could  not  refrain  from  ah  exclamation  of  sat- 
isfaction, as  if  to  say,  "  Good  luck !  I  knew  it  well 
enough ! " 

When  he  said  he  would  be  sent  to  prison,  Bertaud 
was  not  wrong.  The  judge  ordered  his  arrest. 

It  was  now  Philippe's  turn. 

The  poor  fellow  was  in  a  pitiable  state ;  he  was  cry- 
ing bitterly. 

"  To  accuse  me  of  such  a  crime,  me! "  he  kept  re- 
peating. 

On  being  questioned  he  told  the  pure  and  simple 
truth,  excusing  himself,  however,  for  having  dared  to 
penetrate  into  the  park.  When  he  was  asked  at  what 
hour  his  father  reached  home,  he  said  he  knew  nothing 
about  it ;  he  had  gone  to  bed  about  nine,  and  had  not 
awoke  until  morning.  He  knew  Guespin,  from  hav- 
ing seen  him  at  his  father's  several  times.  He  knew 
that  the  old  man  had  some  transactions  with  the  gar- 
dener, but  he  was  ignorant  as  to  what  they  were.  He 
had  never  spoken  four  times  to  Guespin.  The  judge 
ordered  Philippe  to  be  set  at  liberty,  not  that  he  was 
wholly  convinced  of  his  innocence,  but  because  if  the 
crime  had  been  committed  by  several  persons,  it  was 
well  to  have  one  of  them  free ;  he  could  be  watched, 
and  he  would  betray  the  whereabouts  of  the  rest. 

Meanwhile  the  count's  body  was  nowhere  to  be 
found.  The  park  had  been  rigidly  searched,  but  in 
vain.  The  mayor  suggested  that  he  had  been  thrown 
into  the  river,  which  was  also  M.  Domini's  opinion ; 
and  some  fishermen  were  sent  to  drag  the  Seine,  com- 


48          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

mencing  their  search  a  little  above  the  place  where  the 
countess  was  found. 

It  was  then  nearly  three  o'clock.  M.  Plantat  re- 
marked that  probably  no  one  had  eaten  anything  dur- 
ing the  day.  Would  it  not  be  wise  to  take  something, 
he  suggested,  if  the  investigations  were  to  be  pursued 
till  night  ?  This  appeal  to  the  trivial  necessities  of  our 
frail  humanity  highly  displeased  the  worthy  mayor; 
but  the  rest  readily  assented  to  the  suggestion,  and  M. 
Courtois,  though  not  in  the  least  hungry,  followed  the 
general  example.  Around  the  table  which  was  yet 
wet  with  the  wine  spilt  by  the  assassins,  the  judge,  M. 
Plantat,  the  mayor,  and  the  doctor  sat  down,  and  par- 
took of  an  improvised  collation. 


V 

The  staircase  had  been  put  under  guard,  but  the 
vestibule  had  remained  free.  People  were  heard  com- 
ing and  going,  tramping  and  coughing;  then  rising 
above  this  continuous  noise,  the  oaths  of  the  gen- 
darmes trying  to  keep  back  the  crowd.  From  time  to 
time,  a  scared  face  passed  by  the  dining-room  door, 
which  was  ajar.  These  were  curious  folks  who,  more 
daring  than  the  rest,  wished  to  see  the  "  men  of  jus- 
tice "  eating,  and  tried  to  hear  a  word  or  two,  to  re- 
port them,  and  so  become  important  in  the  eyes  of  the 
others.  But  the  "  men  of  justice  " — as  they  said  at 
Orcival — took  care  to  say  nothing  of  moment  while 
the  doors  were  open,  and  while  a  servant  was  passing 
to  and  fro.  Greatly  moved  by  this  frightful  crime, 
disturbed  by  the  mystery  which  surrounded  it,  they 
hid  their  impressions.  Each,  on  his  part,  studied  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL         49 

probability  of  his  suspicions,  and  kept  his  opinion  to 
himself. 

M.  Domini,  as  he  ate,  put  his  notes  in  order,  num- 
bering the  leaves,  marking  certain  peculiarly  signifi- 
cant answers  of  the  suspected  persons  with  a  cross. 
He  was,  perhaps,  the  least  tormented  of  the  four  com- 
panions at  this  funereal  repast.  The  crime  did  not 
seem  to  him  one  of  those  which  keep  judges  of  instruc- 
tion sleepless  through  the  night ;  he  saw  clearly  the 
motive  of  it ;  and  he  had  Bertaud  and  Guespin,  two  of 
the  assassins,  or  at  least  accomplices,  secure. 

M.  Plantat  and  Dr.  Gendron,  seated  next  each 
other,  were  talking  of  the  illness  which  carried  off  Sau- 
vresy.  M.  Courtois  listened  to  the  hubbub  without. 

The  news  of  the  double  murder  was  soon  noised 
about  the  neighborhood,  and  the  crowd  increased 
every  minute.  It  filled  the  court,  and  became  bolder 
and  bolder ;  the  gendarmes  were  overwhelmed.  Then 
or  never  was  the  time  for  the  mayor  to  show  his  au- 
thority. "  I  am  going  to  make  these  people  listen  to 
reason,"  said  he,  "  and  make  them  retire."  And  at 
once,  wiping  his  mouth,  he  threw  his  tumbled  napkin 
on  the  table,  and  went  out. 

It  was  time.  The  brigadier's  injunctions  were  no 
longer  heeded.  Some  curious  people,  more  eager 
than  the  rest,  had  flanked  the  position  and  were  forc- 
ing an  entrance  through  the  gate  leading  to  the  garden. 
The  mayor's  presence  did  not  perhaps  intimidate  the 
crowd  much,  but  it  redoubled  the  energy  of  the  gen- 
dames  ;  the  vestibule  was  cleared,  amid  murmurings 
against  the  arm  of  the  law. 

What  a  chance  for  a  speech !  M.  Courtois  was  not 
wanting  to  the  occasion.  He  believed  that  his  elo- 
quence, endowed  with  the  virtues  of  a  cold  shower- 


So          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

bath,  would  calm  this  unwonted  effervescence  of  his 
constituency.  He  stepped  forward  upon  the  steps,  his 
left  hand  resting  in  the  opening  of  his  vest,  gesturing 
with  his  right  in  the  proud  and  impassible  attitude 
which  the  sculptor  lends  to  great  orators.  It  was 
thus  that  he  posed  before  his  council  when,  finding  un- 
expected opposition,  he  undertook  to  impose  his  will 
upon  them,  and  recall  the  recalcitrant  members  to  their 
duty. 

His  speech,  in  fragments,  penetrated  to  the  dining- 
room.  According  as  he  turned  to  the  right  or  to  the 
left,  his  voice  was  clear  and  distinct,  or  was  lost  in 
space.  He  said : 

"  Fellow-citizens,  an  atrocious  crime,  unheard  of 
before  in  our  commune,  has  shocked  our  peaceable  and 
honest  neighborhood.  I  understand  and  excuse  your 
feverish  emotion,  your  natural  indignation.  As  well 
as  you,  my  friends,  more  than  you — I  cherished  and 
esteemed  the  noble  Count  de  Tremorel,  and  his  virtu- 
ous wife.  We  mourn  them  together " 

"  I  assure  you,"  said  Dr.  Gendron  to  M.  Plantat, 
"  that  the  symptoms  you  describe  are  not  uncom- 
mon after  pleurisy.  From  the  acute  state,  the  inflam- 
mation passes  to  the  chronic  state,  and  becomes  com- 
plicated with  pneumonia." 

"  But  nothing,"  pursued  the  mayor,  "  can  justify  a 
curiosity,  which  by  its  importunate  attempts  to  be  sat- 
isfied, embarrasses  the  investigation,  and  is,  at  all 
events,  a  punishable  interference  with  the  cause  of  jus- 
tice. Why  this  unwonted  gathering?  Why  these 
rumors  and  noises?  These  premature  conjectures?" 

"  There  were  several  consultations,"  said  M.  Plan- 
tat,  "  which  did  not  have  favorable  results.  Sauvresy 
suffered  altogether  strange  and  unaccountable  tort- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          51 

ures.  He  complained  of  troubles  so  unwonted,  so 
absurd,  if  you'll  excuse  the  word,  that  he  discouraged 
all  the  conjectures  of  the  most  experienced  physi- 
cians." 

"  Was  it  not  R ,  of  Paris,  who  attended  him  ?  " 

"  Exactly.  He  came  daily,  and  often  remained  over- 
night. Many  times  I  have  seen  him  ascending  the 
principal  street  of  the  village,  with  troubled  counte- 
nance, as  he  went  to  give  his  prescription  to  the  apothe- 
cary." 

"  Be  wise  enough,"  cried  M.  Courtois,  "  to  moderate 
your  just  anger ;  be  calm ;  be  dignified." 

"  Surely,"  continued  Dr.  Dendron,  "  your  apothe- 
cary is  an  intelligent  man ;  but  you  have  at  Orcival  a 
fellow  who  quite  outdoes  him,  a  fellow  who  knows  how 
to  make  money ;  one  Robelot " 

"  Robelot,  the  bone-setter?  " 

"  That's  the  man.  I  suspect  him  of  giving  consul- 
tations, and  prescribing  sub  rosa.  He  is  very  clever. 
In  fact  I  educated  him.  Five  or  six  years  ago,  he  was 
my  laboratory  boy,  and  even  now  I  employ  him  when 
I  have  a  delicate  operation  on  hand " 

The  doctor  stopped,  struck  by  the  alteration  in  the 
impassible  Plantat's  features. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  my  friend  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Are 
you  ill?" 

The  judge  left  his  notes,  to  look  at  him. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "  Monsieur  Plantat  is  very 
pale " 

But  M.  Plantat  speedily  resumed  his  habitual  ex- 
pression. 

'  'Tis  nothing,"  he  answered,  "  really  nothing. 
With  my  abominable  stomach,  as  soon  as  I  change  my 
hour  of  eating " 


52 

Having  reached  his  peroration,  M.  Courtois  raised 
his  voice. 

"  Return,"  said  he,  "  to  your  peaceable  homes,  your 
quiet  avocations.  Rest  assured  the  law  protects  you. 
Already  justice  has  begun  its  work ;  two  of  the  crimi- 
nals are  in  its  power,  and  we  are  on  the  track  of  their 
accomplices." 

"  Of  all  the  servants  of  the  chateau,"  remarked  M. 
Plantat,  "  there  remains  not  one  who  knew  Sauvresy, 
The  domestics  have  one  by  one  been  replaced." 

"  No  doubt,"  answered  the  doctoi,  "  the  sight  of  the 
old  servants  would  be  disagreeable  to  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel." 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  mayor,  who  re-entered, 
his  eyes  glowing,  his  face  animated,  wiping  his  fore- 
head. 

"  I  have  let  the  people  know,"  said  he,  "  the  inde- 
cency of  their  curiosity.  They  have  all  gone  away. 
They  were  anxious  to  get  at  Philippe  Bertaud,  the 
brigadier  says  ;  public  opinion  has  a  sharp  scent." 

Hearing  the  door  open,  he  turned,  and  found  him- 
self face  to  face  with  a  man  whose  features  were  scarce- 
ly visible,  so  profoundly  did  he  bow,  his  hat  pressed 
against  his  breast. 

"  What  do  you  wish  ?  "  sternly  asked  M.  Courtois. 
"  By  what  right  have  you  come  in  here  ?  Who  are 
you?" 

The  man  drew  himself  up. 

"  I  am  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  he  replied,  with  a  gracious 
smile.  "  Monsieur  Lecoq  of  the  detective  force,  sent 
by  the  prefect  of  police  in  reply  to  a  telegram,  for  this 
affair." 

This  declaration  clearly  surprised  all  present,  even 
the  judge  of  instruction. 


53 

In  France,  each  profession  has  its  special  externals, 
as  it  were,  insignia,  which  betray  it  at  first  view.  Each 
profession  has  its  conventional  type,  and  when  public 
opinion  has  adopted  a  type,  it  does  not  admit  it  possi- 
ble that  the  type  should  be  departed  from.  What  is  a 
doctor  ?  A  grave  man,  all  in  black,  with  a  white  cravat. 
A  gentleman  with  a  capacious  stomach,  adorned  with 
heavy  gold  seals,  can  only  be  a  banker.  Everybody 
knows  that  the  artist  is  a  merry  liver,  with  a  peaked  hat, 
a  velvet  vest,  and  enormous  ruffles.  By  virtue  of  this 
rule,  the  detective  of  the  prefecture  ought  to  have  an 
eye  full  of  mystery,  something  suspicious  about  him, 
a  negligence  of  dress,  and  imitation  jewelry.  The 
most  obtuse  shopkeeper  is  sure  that  he  can  scent  a  de- 
tective at  twenty  paces ;  a  big  man  with  mustaches, 
and  a  shining  felt  hat,  his  throat  imprisoned  by  a  collar 
of  hair,  dressed  in  a  black,  threadbare  surtout,  care- 
fully buttoned  up  on  account  of  the  entire  absence  of 
linen.  Such  is  the  type.  But,  according  to  this,  M. 
Lecoq,  as  he  entered  the  dining-room  at  Valfeuillu, 
had  by  no  means  the  air  of  a  detective.  True,  M. 
Lecoq  can  assume  whatever  air  he  pleases.  His  friends 
declare  that  he  has  a  physiognomy  peculiar  to  himself, 
which  he  resumes  when  he  enters  his  own  house,  and 
which  he  retains  by  his  own  fireside,  with  his  slippers 
on ;  but  the  fact  is  not  well  proved.  What  is  certain, 
is  that  his  mobile  face  lends  itself  to  strange  metamor- 
phoses ;  that  he  moulds  his  features  according  to  his 
will,  as  the  sculptor  moulds  clay  for  modelling.  He 
changes  everything,  even  his  look. 

"  So,"  said  the  judge  of  instruction,  "  the  prefect  has 
sent  you  to  me,  in  case  certain  investigations  become 
necessary." 

"  Yes,  Monsieur,  quite  at  your  service." 


54         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL1 

M.  Lecoq  had  on  this  day  assumed  a  handsome  wig 
of  lank  hair,  of  that  vague  color  called  Paris  blonde, 
parted  on  the  side  by  a  line  pretentiously  fanciful; 
whiskers  of  the  same  color  puffed  out  with  bad  po- 
made, encircled  a  pallid  face.  His  big  eyes  seemed 
congealed  within  their  red  border,  an  open  smile  rest- 
ed on  his  thick  lips,  which,  in  parting,  discovered  a 
range  of  long  yellow  teeth.  His  face,  otherwise,  ex- 
pressed nothing  in  particular.  It  was  a  nearly  equal 
mixture  of  timidity,  self-sufficiency,  and  contentment. 
It  was  quite  impossible  to  concede  the  least  intelligence 
to  the  possessor  of  such  a  phiz.  One  involuntarily 
looked  for  a  goitre.  The  retail  haberdashers,  who, 
having  cheated  for  thirty  years  in  their  threads  and 
needles,  retire  with  large  incomes,  should  have  such 
heads  as  this.  His  apparel  was  as  dull  as  his  person. 
His  coat  resembled  all  coats,  his  trousers  all  trousers. 
A  hair  chain,  the  same  color  as  his  whiskers,  was  at- 
tached to  a  large  silver  watch,  which  bulged  out  his 
left  waistcoat  pocket.  While  speaking,  he  fumbled 
with  a  confection-box  made  of  transparent  horn,  full  of 
little  square  lozenges,  and  adorned  by  a  portrait  of  a 
very  homely,  well-dressed  woman — "  the  defunct,"  no 
doubt.  As  the  conversation  proceeded,  according  as 
he  was  satisfied  or  disturbed,  M.  Lecoq  munched  a 
lozenge,  or  directed  glances  toward  the  portrait  which 
were  quite  a  poem  in  themselves. 

Having  examined  the  man  a  long  time,  the  judge  of 
instruction  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  Well,"  said  M. 
Domini,  finally,  "  now  that  you  are  here,  we  will  ex- 
plain to  you  what  has  occurred." 

"  Oh,  that's  quite  useless,"  responded  Lecoq,  with  a 
satisfied  air,  "  perfectly  useless,  sir." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          55 

"  Nevertheless,  it  is  necessary  that  you  should 
know " 

"What?  that  which  monsieur  the  judge  knows?" 
interrupted  the  detective,  "  for  that  I  already  know. 
Let  us  agree  there  has  been  a  murder,  with  theft  as  its 
motive;  and  start  from  that  point.  The  countess's 
body  has  been  found — not  so  that  of  the  count.  What 
else?  Bertaud,  an  acknowledged  rogue,  is  arrested ;  he 
merits  a  little  punishment,  doubtless.  Guespin  came 
back  drunk;  ah,  there  are  sad  charges  against  this 
Guespin !  His  past  is  deplorable ;  it  is  not  known 
where  he  passed  the  night,  he  refuses  to  answer,  he 
brings  no  alibi — this  is  indeed  grave !  " 

M.  Plantat  gazed  at  the  detective  with  visible  pleas- 
ure. 

"  Who  has  told  you  about  these  things  ?  "  asked  M. 
Domini. 

"  Well — everybody  has  told  me  a  little." 

"But  where?" 

"  Here :  I've  already  been  here  two  hours,  and  even 
heard  the  mayor's  speech." 

And,  satisfied  with  the  effect  he  had  produced,  M. 
Lecoq  munched  a  lozenge. 

"  You  were  not  aware,  then,"  resumed  the  judge, 
"  that  I  was  waiting  for  you  ?  " 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  the  detective ;  "  I  hope  you  will 
be  kind  enough  to  hear  me.  You  see,  it  is  indispensa- 
ble to  study  the  ground ;  one  must  look  about,  estab- 
lish his  batteries.  I  am  anxious  to  catch  the  general 
rumor — public  opinion,  as  they  say,  so  as  to  distrust 
it." 

"  All  this,"  answered  M.  Domini,  severely,  "  does 
not  justify  your  delay." 

M.  Lecoq  glanced  tenderly  at  the  portrait. 


56          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

*'  Monsieur  the  judge,"  said  he,  "  has  only  to  inquire 
at  the  prefecture,  and  he  will  learn  that  I  know  my  pro- 
fession. The  great  thing  requisite,  in  order  to  make 
an  effective  search,  is  to  remain  unknown.  The  police 
are  not  popular.  Now,  if  they  knew  who  I  was,  and 
why  I  was  here,  I  might  go  out,  but  nobody  would  tell 
me  anything ;  I  might  ask  questions — they'd  serve  me 
a  hundred  lies ;  they  would  distrust  me,  and  hold  their 
tongues." 

"  Quite  true — quite  true,"  murmured  Plantat,  com- 
ing to  the  support  of  the  detective. 

M.  Lecoq  went  on : 

"  So  that  when  I  was  told  that  I  was  going  into  the 
country,  I  put  on  my  country  face  and  clothes.  I  ar- 
rive here  and  everybody,  on  seeing  me,  says  to  him- 
self, '  Here's  a  curious  bumpkin,  but  not  a  bad  fellow.' 
Then  I  slip  about,  listen,  talk,  make  the  rest  talk !  I 
ask  this  question  and  that,  and  am  answered  frankly ; 
I  inform  myself,  gather  hints,  no  one  troubles  himself 
about  me.  These  Orcival  folks  are  positively  charm- 
ing; why,  I've  already  made  several  friends,  and  am 
invited  to  dine  this  very  evening." 

M.  Domini  did  not  like  the  police,  and  scarcely  con- 
cealed it.  He  rather  submitted  to  their  co-operation 
than  accepted  it,  solely  because  he  could  not  do  with- 
out them.  While  listening  to  M.  Lecoq,  he  could  not 
but  approve  of  what  he  said  ;  yet  he  looked  at  him  with 
an  eye  by  no  means  friendly. 

"  Since  you  know  so  much  about  the  matter,"  ob- 
served he,  dryly,  "  we  will  proceed  to  examine  the 
scene  of  the  crime." 

"  I  am  quite  at  Monsieur  the  judge's  orders,"  re- 
turned the  detective,  laconically.  As  everyone  was 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL          57 

getting  up,  he  took  the  opportunity  to  offer  M.  Plantat 
his  lozenge-box. 

"  Monsieur  perhaps  uses  them  ?  " 

Plantat,  unwilling  to  decline,  appropriated  a  loz- 
enge, and  the  detective's  face  became  again  serene. 
Public  sympathy  was  necessary  to  him,  as  it  is  to  all 
great  comedians. 

VI 

M.  Lecoq  was  the  first  to  reach  the  staircase,  and  the 
spots  of  blood  at  once  caught  his  eye. 

"  Oh,"  cried  he,  at  each  spot  he  saw,  "  oh,  oh,  the 
wretches !  " 

M.  Courtois  was  much  moved  to  find  so  much  sen- 
sibility in  a  detective.  The  latter,  as  he  continued  to 
ascend,  went  on : 

"  The  wretches !  They  don't  often  leave  traces  like 
this  everywhere — or  at  least  they  wipe  them  out." 

On  gaining  the  first  landing,  and  the  door  of  the 
boudoir  which  led  into  the  chamber,  he  stopped,  eager- 
ly scanning,  before  he  entered,  the  position  of  the 
rooms. 

Then  he  entered  the  boudoir,  saying: 

"  Come ;  I  don't  see  my  way  clear  yet." 

"  But  it  seems  to  me,"  remarked  the  judge,  "  that  we 
have  already  important  materials  to  aid  your  task.  It 
is  clear  that  Guespin,  if  he  is  not  an  accomplice,  at 
least  knew  something  about  the  crime." 

M.  Lecoq  had  recourse  to  the  portrait  in  the  lozenge- 
box.  It  was  more  than  a  glance,  it  was  a  confidence. 
He  evidently  said  something  to  the  dear  defunct,  which 
he  dared  not  say  aloud. 

"  I  see  that  Guespin  is  seriously  compromised,"  re- 


58          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

sumed  he.  "  Why  didn't  he  want  to  tell  where  he 
passed  the  night?  But,  then,  public  opinion  is  against 
him,  and  I  naturally  distrust  that." 

The  detective  stood  alone  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
the  rest,  at  his  request,  remained  at  the  threshold, 
and  looking  keenly  about  him,  searched  for  some  ex- 
planation of  the  frightful  disorder  of  the  apartment.  i 

"  Fools !  "  cried  he,  in  an  irritated  tone,  "  double  » 
brutes!  Because  they  murder  people  so  as  to  rob 
them,  is  no  reason  why  they  should  break  everything 
in  the  house.  Sharp  folks  don't  smash  up  furniture; 
they  carry  pretty  picklocks,  which  work  well  and  make 
no  noise.  Idiots !  one  would  say " 

He  stopped  with  his  mouth  wide  open. 

"  Eh !     Not  so  bungling,  after  all,  perhaps." 

The  witnesses  of  this  scene  remained  motionless  at 
the  door,  following,  with  an  interest  mingled  with  sur- 
prise, the  detective's  movements. 

Kneeling  down,  he  passed  his  flat  palm  over  the 
thick  carpet,  among  the  broken  porcelain. 

"  It's  damp ;  very  damp.  The  tea  was  not  all  drunk, 
it  seems,  when  the  cups  were  broken." 

"  Some  tea  might  have  remained  in  the  teapot,"  sug- 
gested Plantat. 

"  I  know  it,"  answered  M.  Lecoq,  "  just  what  I  was 
going  to  say.  So  that  this  dampness  cannot  tell  us 
the  exact  moment  when  the  crime  was  committed." 

"  But  the  clock  does,  and  very  exactly,"  interrupted 
the  mayor. 

"  The  mayor,"  said  M.  Domini,  "  in  his  notes,  well 
explains  that  the  movements  of  the  clock  stopped  when 
it  fell." 

"  But  see  here,"  said  M.  Plantat,  "  it  was  the  odd 
hour  marked  by  that  clock  that  struck  me.  The  hands 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          59 

point  to  twenty  minutes  past  three ;  yet  we  know  that 
the  countess  was  fully  dressed,  when  she  was  struck. 
Was  she  up  taking  tea  at  three  in  the  morning?  It's 
hardly  probable." 

"  I,  too,  was  struck  with  that  circumstance,"  re- 
turned M.  Lecoq,  "  and  that's  why  I  said,  '  not  so  stu- 
pid ! '  Well,  let's  see." 

He  lifted  the  clock  with  great  care,  and  replaced  it 
on  the  mantel,  being  cautious  to  set  it  exactly  upright. 
The  hands  continued  to  point  to  twenty  minutes  past 
three. 

"  Twenty  past  three !  "  muttered  he,  while  slipping  a 
little  wedge  under  the  stand.  "  People  don't  take  tea 
at  that  hour.  Still  less  common  is  it  that  people  are 
murdered  at  daylight." 

He  opened  the  clock-case  with  some  difficulty,  and 
pushed  the  longer  hand  to  the  figure  of  half-past  three. 

The  clock  struck  eleven ! 

"  Good,"  cried  M.  Lecoq,  triumphantly.  "  That  is 
the  truth !  "  and  drawing  the  lozenge-box  from  his 
pocket,  he  excitedly  crushed  a  lozenge  between  his 
teeth. 

The  simplicity  of  this  discovery  surprised  the  specta- 
tors ;  the  idea  of  trying  the  clock  in  this  way  had  oc- 
curred to  no  one.  M.  Courtois,  especially,  was  be- 
wildered. 

"  There's  a  fellow,"  whispered  he  to  the  doctor, 
"  who  knows  what  he's  about." 

"  Ergo,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq  (who  knew  Latin),  "  we 
have  here,  not  brutes,  as  I  thought  at  first,  but  rascals 
who  looked  beyond  the  end  of  their  knife.  They  in- 
tended to  put  us  off  the  scent,  by  deceiving  us  as  to  the 
hour." 


60          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  I  don't  see  their  object  very  clearly,"  said  M.  Cour« 
tois,  timidly. 

"  Yet  it  is  easy  to  see  it,"  answered  M.  Domini. 
"  Was  it  not  for  their  interest  to  make  it  appear  that 
the  crime  was  committed  after  the  last  train  for  Paris 
had  left?  Guespin,  leaving  his  companions  at  the 
Lyons  station  at  nine,  might  have  reached  here  at  ten, 
1  murdered  the  count  and  countess,  seized  the  money 
which  he  knew  to  be  in  the  count's  possession,  and  re- 
turned to  Paris  by  the  last  train." 

"  These  conjectures  are  very  shrewd,"  interposed  M. 
Plantat ;  "  but  how  is  it  that  Guespin  did  not  rejoin  his 
comrades  in  the  Batignolles?  For  in  that  way,  to  a 
certain  degree,  he  might  have  provided  a  kind  of  alibi." 

Dr.  Gendron  had  been  sitting  on  the  only  un- 
broken chair  in  the  chamber,  reflecting  on  Plantat's 
sudden  embarrassment,  when  he  had  spoken  of  Robe- 
lot  the  bone-setter.  The  remarks  of  the  judge  drew 
him  from  his  revery ;  he  got  up,  and  said : 

"  There  is  another  point ;  putting  forward  the  time 
was  perhaps  useful  to  Guespin,  but  it  would  greatly 
damage  Bertaud,  his  accomplice." 

"  But,"  answered  M.  Domini,  "  it  might  be  that  Ber- 
taud was  not  consulted.  As  to  Guespin,  he  had  no 
doubt  good  reasons  for  not  returning  to  the  wedding. 
His  restlessness,  after  such  a  deed,  would  possibly  have 
betrayed  him." 

M.  Lecoq  had  not  thought  fit  to  speak  as  yet.  Like 
a  doctor  at  a  sick  bedside,  he  wanted  to  be  sure  of  his 
diagnosis.  He  had  returned  to  the  mantel,  and  again 
pushed  forward  the  hands  of  the  clock.  It  sounded, 
successively,  half-past  eleven,  then  twelve,  then  half- 
past  twelve,  then  one. 

As  he  moved  the  hands,  he  kept  muttering : 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          61 

"  Apprentices — chance  brigands !  You  are  mali- 
cious, parbleu,  but  you  don't  think  of  everything. 
You  give  a  push  to  the  hands,  but  don't  remember  to 
put  the  striking  in  harmony  with  them.  Then  comes 
along  a  detective,  an  old  rat  who  knows  things,  and  the 
dodge  is  discovered." 

M.  Domini  and  Plantat  held  their  tongues.  M.  Le- 
coq  walked  up  to  them. 

"  Monsieur  the  Judge,"  said  he,  "  is  perhaps  now 
convinced  that  the  deed  was  done  at  half-past  ten." 

"  Unless,"  interrupted  M.  Plantat,  "  the  machinery 
of  the  clock  has  been  out  of  order." 

"  That  often  happens,"  added  M.  Courtois.  "  The 
clock  in  my  drawing-room  is  in  such  a  state  that  I 
never  know  the  time  of  day." 

M.  Lecoq  reflected. 

"  It  is  possible,"  said  he,  "  that  Monsieur  Plantat  is 
right.  The  probability  is  in  favor  of  my  theory ;  but 
probability,  in  such  an  affair,  is  not  sufficient ;  we  must 
have  certainty.  There  happily  remains  a  mode  of  test- 
ing the  matter — the  bed ;  I'll  wager  it  is  rumpled  up." 
Then  addressing  the  mayor,  "  I  shall  need  a  servant  to 
lend  me  a  hand." 

"  I'll  help  you,"  said  Plantat,  "  that  will  be  a  quicker 
way." 

They  lifted  the  top  of  the  bed  and  set  it  on  the  floor, 
at  the  same  time  raising  the  curtains. 

"  Hum  !  "  cried  M.  Lecoq,  "  was  I  right?  " 

"  True,"  said  M.  Domini,  surprised,  "  the  bed  is 
rumpled." 

"  Yes ;  and  yet  no  one  has  lain  in  it." 

"  But — "  objected  M.  Courtois. 

"  I  am  sure  of  what  I  say,"  interrupted  the  detective. 
"  The  sheets,  it  is  true,  have  been  thrown  back,  per- 


62          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

haps  someone  has  rolled  about  in  the  bed ;  the  pillows 
have  been  tumbled,  the  quilts  and  curtains  ruffled,  but 
this  bed  has  not  the  appearance  of  having  been  slept  in. 
It  is,  perhaps,  more  difficult  to  rumple  up  a  bed  than  to 
put  it  in  order  again.  To  make  it  up,  the  coverings 
must  be  taken  off,  and  the  mattresses  turned.  To  dis- 
arrange it,  one  must  actually  lie  down  in  it,  and  warm 
it  with  the  body.  A  bed  is  one  of  those  terrible  wit- 
nesses which  never  misguide,  and  against  which  no 
counter  testimony  can  be  given.  Nobody  has  gone  to 
bed  in  this " 

"  The  countess,"  remarked  Plantat,  "  was  dressed ; 
but  the  count  might  have  gone  to  bed  first." 

"  No,"  answered  M.  Lecoq,  "  I'll  prove  to  the  con- 
trary. The  proof  is  easy,  indeed,  and  a  child  of  ten, 
having  heard  it,  wouldn't  think  of  being  deceived  by 
this  intentional  disorder  of  the  bedclothes." 

M.  Lecoq's  auditors  drew  up  to  him.  He  put  the 
coverings  back  upon  the  middle  of  the  bed,  and  went 
on: 

"  Both  of  the  pillows  are  much  rumpled,  are  they 
not?  But  look  under  the  bolster — it  is  all  smooth,  and 
you  find  none  of  those  wrinkles  which  are  made  by  the 
weight  of  the  head  and  the  moving  about  of  the  arms. 
That's  not  all ;  look  at  the  bed  from  the  middle  to  the 
foot.  The  sheets  being  laid  carefully,  the  upper  and 
under  lie  close  together  everywhere.  Slip  your  hand 
underneath — there — you  see  there  is  a  resistance  to 
your  hand  which  would  not  occur  if  the  legs  had  been 
stretched  in  that  place.  Now  Monsieur  de  Tremorel 
was  tall  enough  to  extend  the  full  length  of  the  bed." 

This  demonstration  was  so  clear,  its  proof  so  palpa- 
ble, that  it  could  not  be  gainsaid. 

"  This  is  nothing,"  continued  M.  Lecoq.     "  Let  us 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          63 

examine  the  second  mattress.  When  a  person  pur- 
posely disarranges  a  bed,  he  does  not  think  of  the  sec- 
ond mattress." 

He  lifted  up  the  upper  mattress,  and  observed  that 
the  covering  of  the  under  one  was  perfectly  even. 

"  H'm,  the  second  mattress,"  muttered  M.  Lecoq,  as 
if  some  memory  crossed  his  mind. 

"  It  appears  to  be  proved,"  observed  the  judge, 
"  that  Monsieur  de  Tremorel  had  not  gone  to  bed." 

"  Besides,"  added  the  doctor,  "  if  he  had  been  mur- 
dered in  his  bed,  his  clothes  would  be  lying  here  some- 
where." 

"  Without  considering,"  suggested  M.  Lecoq,  "  that 
some  blood  must  have  been  found  on  the  sheets.  De- 
cidedly, these  criminals  were  not  shrewd." 

"  What  seems  to  me  surprising,"  M.  Plantat  ob- 
served to  the  judge,  "  is  that  anybody  would  succeed  in 
killing,  except  in  his  sleep,  a  young  man  so  vigorous 
as  Count  Hector." 

"  And  in  a  house  full  of  weapons,"  added  Dr. 
Gendron ;  "  for  the  count's  cabinet  is  full  of  guns, 
swords  and  hunting  knives ;  it's  a  perfect  arsenal." 

"  Alas !  "  sighed  M.  Courtois,  "  we  know  of  worse 
catastrophies.  There  is  not  a  week  that  the  papers 
don't " 

He  stopped,  chagrined,  for  nobody  was  listening  to 
him.  Plantat  claimed  the  general  attention,  and  con- 
tinued : 

"  The  confusion  in  the  house  seems  to  you  surpris- 
ing; well  now,  I'm  surprised  that  it  is  not  worse  than 
it  is.  I  am,  so  to  speak,  an  old  man ;  I  haven't  the  en- 
ergy of  a  young  man  of  thirty-five ;  yet  it  seems  to  me 
that  if  assassins  should  get  into  my  house,  when  I  was 
there,  and  up,  it  would  go  hard  with  them.  I  don't 


64 

know  what  I  would  do ;  probably  I  should  be  killed ; 
but  surely  I  would  give  the  alarm.  I  would  defend 
myself,  and  cry  out,  and  open  the  windows,  and  set  the 
house  afire." 

"  Let  us  add,"  insisted  the  doctor,  "  that  it  is  not  easy 
to  surprise  a  man  who  is  awake.  There  is  always  an 
unexpected  noise  which  puts  one  on  his  guard.  Per- 
haps it  is  a  creaking  door,  or  a  cracking  stair.  How- 
ever cautious  the  murderer,  he  does  not  surprise  his 
victim." 

"  They  may  have  used  fire-arms,"  struck  in  the  wor- 
thy mayor,  "  that  has  been  done.  You  are  quietly  sit- 
ting in  your  chamber ;  it  is  summer,  and  your  windows 
are  open ;  you  are  chatting  with  your  wife,  and  sipping 
a  cup  of  tea ;  outside,  the  assassins  are  supplied  with  a 
short  ladder ;  one  ascends  to  a  level  with  the  window, 
sights  you  at  his  ease,  presses  the  trigger,  the  bullet 
speeds " 

"  And,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  the  whole  neighbor- 
hood, aroused  by  it,  hastens  to  the  spot." 

"..Permit  me,  pardon,  permit  me,"  said  M.  Courtois, 
testily,  "  that  would  be  so  in  a  populous  town.  Here, 
in  the  midst  of  a  vast  park,  no.  Think,  doctor,  of  the 
isolation  of  this  house.  The  nearest  neighbor  is  a 
long  way  off,  and  between  there  are  many  large  trees, 
intercepting  the  sound.  Let  us  test  it  by  experience. 
I  will  fire  a  pistol  in  this  room,  and  I'll  wager  that  you 
will  not  hear  the  echo  in  the  road." 

"  In  the  daytime,  perhaps,  but  not  in  the  night." 

"  Well,"  said  M.  Domini,  who  had  been  reflecting 
while  M.  Courtois  was  talking,  "  if  against  all  hope, 
Guespin  does  not  decide  to  speak  to-night,  or  to-mor- 
row, the  count's  body  will  afford  us  a  key  to  the  mys- 
tery." 


65 

During  this  discussion,  M.  Lecoq  had  continued  his 
investigations,  lifting  the  furniture,  studying  the  fract- 
ures, examining  the  smallest  pieces,  as  if  they  might 
betray  the  truth.  Now  and  then,  he  took  out  an  in- 
strument-case, from  which  he  produced  a  shank, 
which  he  introduced  and  turned  in  the  locks.  He 
found  several  keys  on  the  carpet,  and  on  a  rack,  a 
towel,  which  he  carefully  put  one  side,  as  if  he  deemed 
it  important.  He  came  and  went  from  the  bed- 
room to  the  count's  cabinet,  without  losing  a  word 
that  was  said ;  noting  in  his  memory,  not  so  much  the 
phrases  uttered,  as  the  diverse  accents  and  intonations 
with  which  they  were  spoken.  In  an  inquest  such  as 
that  of  the  crime  of  Orcival,  when  several  officials  find 
themselves  face  to  face,  they  hold  a  certain  reserve 
toward  each  other.  They  know  each  other  to  have 
nearly  equal  experience,  to  be  shrewd,  clear-headed, 
equally  interested  in  discovering  the  truth,  not  dis- 
posed to  confide  in  appearances,  difficult  to  surprise. 
Each  one,  likely  enough,  gives  a  different  interpreta- 
tion to  the  facts  revealed;  each  may  have  a  different 
theory  of  the  deed ;  but  a  superficial  observer  would 
not  note  these  differences.  Each,  while  dissimulating 
his  real  thoughts,  tries  to  penetrate  those  of  his  neigh- 
bor, and  if  they  are  opposed  to  his  own,  to  convert  him 
to  his  opinion.  The  great  importance  of  a  single  word 
justifies  this  caution.  Men  who  hold  the  liberty  and 
lives  of  others  in  their  hands,  a  scratch  of  whose  pen 
condemns  to  death,  are  apt  to  feel  heavily  the  burden 
of  their  responsibility.  It  is  an  ineffable  solace,  to  feel 
that  this  burden  is  shared  by  others.  This  is  why  no 
one  dares  take  the  initiative,  or  express  himself  openly ; 
but  each  awaits  other  opinions,  to  adopt  or  oppose 
them.  They  exchange  fewer  affirmations  than  sug- 


66          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

gestions.  They  proceed  by  insinuation ;  then  they 
utter  commonplaces,  ridiculous  suppositions,  asides, 
provocative,  as  it  were,  of  other  explanations. 

In  this  instance,  the  judge  of  instruction  and  Plantat 
were  far  from  being  of  the  same  opinion ;  they  knew  it 
before  speaking  a  word.  But  M.  Domini,  whose  opin- 
ion rested  on  material  and  palpable  facts,  which  ap- 
peared to  him  indisputable,  was  not  disposed  to  pro- 
voke contradiction.  Plantat,  on  the  contrary,  whose 
system  seemed  to  rest  on  impressions,  on  a  series  of 
logical  deductions,  would  not  clearly  express  himself, 
without  a  positive  and  pressing  invitation.  His  last 
speech,  impressively  uttered,  had  not  been  replied  to ; 
he  judged  that  he  had  advanced  far  enough  to  sound 
the  detective. 

"  Well,  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  asked  he,  "  have  you 
found  any  new  traces  ?  " 

M.  Lecoq  was  at  that  moment  curiously  examin- 
ing a  large  portrait  of  the  Count  Hector,  which  hung 
opposite  the  bed.  Hearing  M.  Plantat's  question,  he 
turned. 

"  I  have  found  nothing  decisive,"  answered  he, 
"  and  I  have  found  nothing  to  refute  my  conjectures. 
But " 

He  did  not  finish ;  perhaps  he  too,  recoiled  before 
his  share  of  the  responsibility. 

"  What?  "  insisted  M.  Domini,  sternly. 

"  I  was  going  to  say,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq,  "  that  I 
am  not  yet  satisfied.  I  have  my  lantern  and  a  candle 
in  it ;  I  only  need  a  match " 

"  Please  preserve  your  decorum,"  interrupted  the 
judge  severely. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  continued  M.  Lecoq,  in  a  tone 
too  humble  to  be  serious,  "  I  still  hesitate.  If  the  doc- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          67 

tor,  now,  would  kindly  proceed  to  examine  the  coun- 
tess's body,  he  would  do  me  a  great  service." 

"  I  was  just  going  to  ask  the  same  favor,  Doctor," 
said  M.  Domini. 

The  doctor  answering,  "  Willingly,"  directed  his 
steps  toward  the  door. 

M.  Lecoq  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  If  you  please,"  said  he,  in  a  tone  totally  unlike  that 
he  had  used  up  to  this  time,  "  I  would  like  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  wounds  on  the  head,  made  by  a  blunt 
instrument,  which  I  suppose  to  be  a  hammer.  I  have 
studied  these  wounds,  and  though  I  am  no  doctor,  they 
seem  to  me  suspicious." 

"And  to  me,"  M.  Plantat  quickly  added.  "It 
seemed  to  me,  that  in  the  places  struck,  there  was  no 
emission  of  blood  in  the  cutaneous  vessels." 

"  The  nature  of  these  wounds,"  continued  M.  Lecoq, 
"  will  be  a  valuable  indication,  which  will  fix  my  opin- 
ion." And,  as  he  felt  keenly  the  brusque  manner  of 
the  judge,  he  added : 

"  It  is  you,  Doctor,  who  hold  the  match." 

M.  Gendron  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  when  Bap- 
tiste,  the  mayor's  servant — the  man  who  wouldn't  be 
scolded — appeared.  He  bowed  and  said: 

"  I  have  come  for  Monsieur  the  Mayor." 

"For  me?  why?"  asked  M.  Courtois.  "What's 
the  matter  ?  They  don't  give  me  a  minute's  rest !  An- 
swer that  I  am  busy." 

"  It's  on  account  of  madame,"  resumed  the  placid 
Baptiste ;  "  she  isn't  at  all  well."  The  excellent  mayor 
grew  slightly  pale. 

"  My  wife !  "  cried  he,  alarmed.  "  What  do  you 
mean?  Explain  yourself." 

"  The  postman  arrived  just  now,"  returned  Baptiste 


68          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

with  a  most  tranquil  air,  "  and  I  carried  the  letters  to 
madame,  who  was  in  the  drawing-room.  Hardly  had 
I  turned  on  my  heels  when  I  heard  a  shriek,  and  the 
noise  of  someone  falling  to  the  floor."  Baptiste  spoke 
slowly,  taking  artful  pains  to  prolong  his  master's  an- 
guish. 

"  Speak !  go  on !  "  cried  the  mayor,  exasperated. 
"  Speak,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  I  naturally  opened  the  drawing-room  door  again. 
What  did  I  see?  madame,  at  full  length  on  the  floor. 
I  called  for  help ;  the  chambermaid,  cook,  and  others 
came  hastening  up,  and  we  carried  madame  to  her  bed. 
Justine  said  that  it  was  a  letter  from  Mademoiselle 
Laurence  which  overcame  my  mistress " 

At  each  word  Baptiste  hesitated,  reflected ;  his  eyes, 
giving  the  lie  to  his  solemn  face,  betrayed  the  great 
satisfaction  he  felt  in  relating  his  master's  misfortunes. 

His  master  was  full  of  consternation.  As  it  is  with 
all  of  us,  when  we  know  not  exactly  what  ill  is  about 
to  befall  us,  he  dared  not  ask  any  questions.  He  stood 
still,  crushed;  lamenting,  instead  of  hastening  home. 
M.  Plantat  profited  by  the  pause  to  question  the  ser- 
vant, with  a  look  which  Baptiste  dared  not  disobey. 

"  What,  a  letter  from  Mademoiselle  Laurence  ? 
Isn't  she  here,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  sir :  she  went  away  a  week  ago,  to  pass  a 
month  with  one  of  her  aunts." 

"  And  how  is  madame?  " 

"  Better,  sir ;   only  she  cries  piteously." 

The  unfortunate  mayor  had  now  somewhat  recov- 
ered his  presence  of  mind.  He  seized  Baptiste  by  the 
arm. 

"  Come  along,"  cried  he,  "  come  along!  " 

They  hastened  off. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          69 

"  Poor  man !  "  said  the  judge  of  instruction.  "  Per- 
haps his  daughter  is  dead." 

M.  Plantat  shook  his  head. 

"  If  it  were  only  that !  "  muttered  he.  He  added, 
turning  to  M.  Domini : 

"  Do  you  recall  the  allusions  of  Bertaud,  Mon- 
sieur?" 


VII 

The  judge  of  instruction,  the  doctor,  and  M.  Plantat 
exchanged  a  significant  look.  What  misfortune  had 
befallen  M.  Courtois,  this  worthy,  and  despite  his 
faults,  excellent  person?  Decidedly,  this  was  an  ill- 
omened  day ! 

"  If  we  are  to  speak  of  Bertaud's  allusions,"  said  M. 
Lecoq,  "  I  have  heard  two  very  curious  stories,  though 
I  have  been  here  but  a  few  hours.  It  seems  that  this 
Mademoiselle  Laurence " 

M.  Plantat  abruptly  interrupted  the  detective. 

"  Calumnies !  odious  calumnies !  The  lower  classes, 
to  annoy  the  rich,  do  not  hesitate  to  say  all  sorts  of 
things  against  them.  Don't  you  know  it?  Is  it  not 
always  so  ?  The  gentry,  above  all,  those  of  a  provin- 
cial town,  live  in  glass  houses.  The  lynx  eyes  of  envy 
watch  them  steadily  night  and  day,  spy  on  them,  sur- 
prise what  they  regard  as  their  most  secret  actions  to 
arm  themselves  against  them.  The  bourgeois  goes 
on,  proud  and  content ;  his  business  prospers ;  he  pos- 
sesses the  esteem  and  friendship  of  his  own  class ;  all 
this  while,  he  is  vilified  by  the  lower  classes,  his  name 
dragged  in  the  dust,  soiled  by  suppositions  the  most 
mischievous.  Envy,  Monsieur,  respects  nothing,  no 
one." 


70          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  If  Laurence  has  been  slandered,"  observed  Dr. 
Gendron,  smiling,  "  she  has  a  good  advocate  to  defend 
her." 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  (the  man  of  bronze,  as 
M.  Courtois  called  him)  blushed  slightly,  a  little  em- 
barrassed. 

"  There  are  causes,"  said  he,  quietly,  "  which  defend 
themselves.  Mademoiselle  Courtois  is  one  of  those 
young  girls  who  has  a  right  to  all  respect.  But  there 
are  evils  which  no  laws  can  cure,  and  which  revolt  me. 
Think  of  it,  monsieurs,  our  reputations,  the  honor  of 
our  wives  and  daughters,  are  at  the  mercy  of  the  first 
petty  rascal  who  has  imagination  enough  to  invent  a 
slander.  It  is  not  believed,  perhaps ;  but  it  is  repeated, 
and  spreads.  What  can  be  done?  How  can  we 
know  what  is  secretly  said  against  us ;  will  we  ever 
know  it  ?  " 

"  Eh !  "  replied  the  doctor,  "  what  matters  it  ?  There 
is  only  one  voice,  to  my  mind,  worth  listening  to — that 
of  conscience.  As  to  what  is  called  '  public  opinion,' 
as  it  is  the  aggregate  opinion  of  thousands  of  fools  and 
rogues,  I  only  despise  it." 

This  discussion  might  have  been  prolonged,  if  the 
judge  of  instruction  had  not  pulled  out  his  watch,  and 
made  an  impatient  gesture. 

"  While  we  are  talking,  time  is  flying,"  said  he. 
"  We  must  hasten  to  the  work  that  still  remains." 

It  was  then  agreed  that  while  the  doctor  proceeded 
to  hisvautopsy,  the  judge  should  draw  up  his  report  of 
the  case.  M.  Plantat  was  charged  with  watching  Le- 
coq's  investigations. 

As  soon  as  the  detective  found  himself  alone  with 
M.  Plantat: 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          71 

"  Well,"  he  said,  drawing  a  long  breath,  as  if  relieved 
of  a  heavy  burden,  "  now  we  can  get  on." 

Plantat  smiled;  the  detective  munched  a  lozenge, 
and  added : 

"  It  was  very  annoying  to  find  the  investigation  al- 
ready going  on  when  I  reached  here.  Those  who  were 
here  before  me  have  had  time  to  get  up  a  theory,  and  if 
I  don't  adopt  it  at  once,  there  is  the  deuce  to  pay !  " 

M.  Domini's  voice  was  heard  in  the  entry,  calling 
out  to  his  clerk. 

"  Now  there's  the  judge  of  instruction,"  continued 
Lecoq,  "  who  thinks  this  a  very  simple  affair ;  while  I, 
Lecoq,  the  equal  at  least  of  Gevrol,  the  favorite  pupil 
of  Papa  Tabaret — I  do  not  see  it  at  all  clearly  yet." 

He  stopped,  and  after  apparently  going  over  in  his 
mind  the  result  of  his  discoveries,  went  on  :  "  No ;  I'm 
off  the  track,  and  have  almost  lost  my  way.  I  see 
something  underneath  all  this — but  what  ?  what  ?  " 

M.  Plantat's  face  remained  placid,  but  his  eyes 
shone. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  said  he,  carelessly ;  "  per- 
haps there  is  something  underneath."  The  detective 
looked  at  him ;  he  didn't  stir.  His  face  seemed  the 
most  undisturbed  in  the  world.  There  was  a  long 
silence,  by  which  M.  Lecoq  profited  to  confide  to  the 
portrait  of  the  defunct  the  reflections  which  burdened 
his  brain. 

"  See  here,  my  dear  darling,"  said  he,  "  this  worthy 
person  seems  a  shrewd  old  customer,  and  I  must  watch 
his  actions  and  gestures  carefully.  He  does  not  argue 
with  the  judge ;  he's  got  an  idea  that  he  doesn't  dare  to 
tell,  and  we  must  find  it  out.  At  the  very  first  he 
guessed  me  out,  despite  these  pretty  blond  locks.  As 
long  as  he  thought  he  could,  by  misleading  me,  make 


ya          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

me  follow  M.  Domini's  tack,  he  followed  and  aided  me, 
showing  me  the  way.  Now  that  he  sees  me  on  the 
scent,  he  crosses  his  arms  and  retires.  He  wants  to 
leave  me  the  honor  of  the  discovery.  Why  ?  He  lives 
here — perhaps  he  is  afraid  of  making  enemies.  No. 
He  isn't  a  man  to  fear  much  of  anything.  What  then  ? 
He  shrinks  from  his  own  thoughts.  He  has  found 
something  so  amazing,  that  he  dares  not  explain  him- 
self." 

A  sudden  reflection  changed  the  course  of  M.  Le- 
coq's  confidences. 

"  A  thousand  imps !  "  thought  he.  "  Suppose  I'm 
wrong !  Suppose  this  old  fellow  is  not  shrewd  at  all ! 
Suppose  he  hasn't  discovered  anything,  and  only  obeys 
the  inspirations  of  chance !  I've  seen  stranger  things. 
I've  known  so  many  of  these  folks  whose  eyes  seem  so 
very  mysterious,  and  announce  such  wonders ;  after 
all,  I  found  nothing,  and  was  cheated.  But  I  intend 
to  sound  this  old  fellow  well." 

And,  assuming  his  most  idiotic  manner,  he  said 
aloud : 

"  On  reflection,  Monsieur,  little  remains  to  be  done. 
Two  of  the  principals  are  in  custody,  and  when  they 
make  up  their  minds  to  talk — they'll  do  it,  sooner  or 
later,  if  the  judge  is  determined  they  shall — we  shall 
know  all." 

A  bucket  of  ice-water  falling  on  M.  Plantat's  head 
could  not  have  surprised  him  more,  or  more  disagree- 
ably, than  this  speech. 

"  What !  "  stammered  he,  with  an  air  of  frank  amaze- 
ment, "  do  you,  a  man  of  experience,  who " 

Delighted  with  the  success  of  his  ruse,  Lecoq  could 
not  keep  his  countenance,  and  Plantat,  who  perceived 
that  he  had  been  caught  in  the  snare,  laughed  heartily. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          73 

Not  a  word,  however,  was  exchanged  between  these 
two  men,  both  subtle  in  the  science  of  life,  and  equally 
cunning  in  its  mysteries.  They  quite  understood  each 
other. 

"  My  worthy  old  buck,"  said  the  detective  to  him- 
self, "  you've  got  something  in  your  sack ;  only  it's  so 
big,  so  monstrous,  that  you  won't  exhibit  it,  not  for  a 
cannon-ball.  You  wish  your  hand  forced,  do  you? 
Ve-ry  well !  " 

"  He's  sly,"  thought  M.  Plantat.  "  He  knows  that 
I've  got  an  idea ;  he's  trying  to  get  at  it — and  I  believe 
he  will." 

M.  Lecoq  had  restored  his  lozenge-box  to  his 
pocket,  as  he  always  did  when  he  went  seriously  to 
work.  His  amour-propre  was  enlisted ;  he  played  a 
part — and  he  was  a  rare  comedian. 

"  Now,"  cried  he,  "  let's  to  horse.  According  to 
the  mayor's  account,  the  instrument  with  which  all 
these  things  were  broken  has  been  found." 

"  In  the  room  in  the  second  story,"  answered  M. 
Plantat,  "  overlooking  the  garden,  we  found  a  hatchet 
on  the  floor,  near  a  piece  of  furniture  which  had  been 
assailed,  but  not  broken  open;  I  forbade  anyone  to 
touch  it." 

"  And  you  did  well.     Is  it  a  heavy  hatchet?  " 

"  It  weighs  about  two  pounds." 

"  Good.     Let's  see  it." 

They  ascended  to  the  room  in  question,  and  M. 
Lecoq,  forgetting  his  part  of  a  haberdasher,  and  re- 
gardless of  his  clothes,  went  down  flat  on  his  stomach, 
alternately  scrutinizing  the  hatchet — which  was  a 
heavy,  terrible  weapon — and  the  slippery  and  well- 
waxed  oaken  floor. 

"  I  suppose,"  observed  M.  Plantat,  "  that  the  assas- 


74          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

sins  brought  this  hatchet  up  here  and  assailed  this  cup- 
board, for  the  sole  purpose  of  putting  us  off  our  scent, 
and  to  complicate  the  mystery.  This  weapon,  you  see, 
was  by  no  means  necessary  for  breaking  open  the  cup- 
board, which  I  could  smash  with  my  fist.  They  gave 
one  blow— only  one — and  quietly  put  the  hatchet 
down." 

The  detective  got  up  and  brushed  himself. 

"  I  think  you  are  mistaken,"  said  he.  "  This  hatchet 
wasn't  put  on  the  floor  gently ;  it  was  thrown  with  a 
violence  betraying  either  great  terror  or  great  anger. 
Look  here ;  do  you  see  these  three  marks,  near  each 
other,  on  the  floor?  When  the  assassin  threw  the 
hatchet,  it  first  fell  on  the  edge — hence  this  sharp  cut ; 
then  it  fell  over  on  one  side ;  and  the  flat,  or  hammer 
end  left  this  mark  here,  under  my  finger.  Therefore, 
it  was  thrown  with  such  violence  that  it  turned  over 
itself  and  that  its  edge  a  second  time  cut  in  the  floor, 
where  you  see  it  now." 

"  True,"  answered  M.  Plantat.  The  detective's  con- 
jectures doubtless  refuted  his  own  theory,  for  he 
added,  with  a  perplexed  air : 

"  I  don't  understand  anything  about  it." 

M.  Lecoq  went  on : 

"  Were  the  windows  open  this  morning  as  they  are 
now?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Ah !  The  wretches  heard  some  noise  or  other  in 
the  garden,  and  they  went  and  looked  out.  What  did 
they  see  ?  I  can't  tell.  But  I  do  know  that  what  they 
saw  terrified  them,  that  they  threw  down  the  hatchet 
furiously,  and  made  off.  Look  at  the  position  of  these 
cuts — they  are  slanting  of  course — and  you  will  see 
that  the  hatchet  was  thrown  by  a  man  who  was  stand- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          75 

ing,  not  by  the  cupboard,  but  close  by  the  open  win- 
dow." 

Plantat  in  his  turn  knelt  down,  and  looked  long  and 
carefully.  The  detective  was  right.  He  got  up  con- 
fused, and  after  meditating  a  moment,  said : 

"  This  perplexes  me  a  little ;  however " 

He  stopped,  motionless,  in  a  revery,  with  one  of  his 
hands  on  his  forehead. 

"  All  might  yet  be  explained,"  he  muttered,  men- 
tally searching  for  a  solution  of  the  mystery,  "  and  in 
that  case  the  time  indicated  by  the  clock  would  be 
true." 

M.  Lecoq  did  not  think  of  questioning  his  compan- 
ion. He  knew  that  he  would  not  answer,  for  pride's 
sake. 

"  This  matter  of  the  hatchet  puzzles  me,  too,"  said 
he.  "  I  thought  that  these  assassins  had  worked  leis- 
urely ;  but  that  can't  be  so.  I  see  they  were  surprised 
and  interrupted." 

Plantat  was  all  ears. 

"  True,"  pursued  M.  Lecoq,  slowly,  "  we  ought  to 
divide  these  indications  into  two  classes.  There  are 
the  traces  left  on  purpose  to  mislead  us — the  jumbled- 
up  bed,  for  instance  ;  then  there  are  the  real  traces,  un- 
designed, as  are  these  hatchet  cuts.  But  here  I  hesi- 
tate. Is  the  trace  of  the  hatchet  true  or  false,  good  or 
bad  ?  I  thought  myself  sure  of  the  character  of  these 
assassins :  but  now " 

He  paused ;  the  wrinkles  on  his  face,  the  contrac- 
tion of  his  mouth,  betrayed  his  mental  effort. 

"  But  now  ?  "  asked  M.  Plantat. 

M.  Lecoq,  at  this  question,  seemed  like  a  man  just 
roused  from  sleep. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  he.     "  I  forgot  myself. 


76          THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

I've  a  bad  habit  of  reflecting  aloud.  That's  why  I  al- 
most always  insist  on  working  alone.  My  uncertain- 
ty, hesitation,  the  vacillation  of  my  suspicions,  lose  me 
the  credit  of  being  an  astute  detective — of  being  an 
agent  for  whom  there's  no  such  thing  as  a  mystery." 

Worthy  M.  Plantat  gave  the  detective  an  indulgent 
smile. 

"  I  don't  usually  open  my  mouth,"  pursued  M.  Le- 
coq,  "  until  my  mind  is  satisfied ;  then  I  speak  in  a 
peremptory  tone,  and  say — this  is  thus,  or  this  is  so. 
But  to-day  I  am  acting  without  too  much  restraint,  in 
the  company  of  a  man  who  knows  that  a  problem  such 
as  this  seems  to  me  to  be,  is  not  solved  at  the  first  at- 
tempt. So  I  permit  my  gropings  to  be  seen  without 
shame.  You  cannot  always  reach  the  truth  at  a 
bound,  but  by  a  series  of  diverse  calculations,  by  de- 
ductions and  inductions.  Well,  just  now  my  logic  is 
at  fault." 

"How  so?" 

"  Oh,  it's  very  simple.  I  thought  I  understood  the 
rascals,  and  knew  them  by  heart ;  and  yet  I  have  only 
recognized  imaginary  adversaries.  Are  they  fools,  or 
are  they  mighty  sly  ?  That's  what  I  ask  myself.  The 
tricks  played  with  the  bed  and  clock  had,  I  supposed, 
given  me  the  measure  and  extent  of  their  intelligence 
and  invention.  Making  deductions  from  the  known 
to  the  unknown,  I  arrived,  by  a  series  of  very  simple 
consequences,  at  the  point  of  foreseeing  all  that  they 
could  have  imagined,  to  throw  us  off  the  scent.  My 
point  of  departure  admitted,  I  had  only,  in  order  to 
reach  the  truth,  to  take  the  contrary  of  that  which  ap- 
pearances indicated.  I  said  to  myself: 

"  A  hatchet  has  been  found  in  the  second  story ; 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          77 

therefore  the  assassins  carried  it  there,  and  designedly 
forgot  it. 

"  They  left  five  glasses  on  the  dining-room  table ; 
therefore  they  were  more  or  less  than  five,  but  they 
were  not  five. 

"  There  were  the  remains  of  a  supper  on  the  table ; 
therefore  they  neither  drank  nor  ate. 

"  The  countess's  body  was  on  the  river-bank ;  there- 
fore it  was  placed  there  deliberately.  A  piece  of  cloth 
was  found  in  the  victim's  hand ;  therefore  it  was  put 
there  by  the  murderers  themselves. 

"  Madame  de  Tremorel's  body  is  disfigured  by  many 
dagger-strokes,  and  horribly  mutilated;  therefore  she 
was  killed  by  a  single  blow " 

"  Bravo,  yes,  bravo,"  cried  M.  Plantat,  visibly 
charmed. 

"  Eh !  no,  not  bravo  yet,"  returned  M.  Lecoq. 
"  For  here  my  thread  is  broken  ;  I  have  reached  a  gap. 
If  my  deductions  were  sound,  this  hatchet  would  have 
been  very  carefully  placed  on  the  floor." 

"  Once  more,  bravo,"  added  the  other,  "  for  this 
does  not  at  all  affect  our  general  theory.  It  is  clear, 
nay  certain,  that  the  assassins  intended  to  act  as  you 
say.  An  unlooked-for  event  interrupted  them." 

"  Perhaps ;  perhaps  that's  true.  But  I  see  some- 
thing else " 

"What?" 

"  Nothing — at  least,  for  the  moment.  Before  all,  I 
must  see  the  dining-room  and  the  garden." 

They  descended  at  once,  and  Plantat  pointed  out 
the  glasses  and  bottles,  which  he  had  put  one  side. 
The  detective  took  the  glasses,  one  after  another,  held 
them  level  with  his  eye,  toward  the  light,  and  scruti- 
nized the  moist  places  left  on  them. 


78          THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

"  No  one  has  drank  from  these  glasses,"  said  he, 
firmly. 

"  What,  from  neither  one  of  them  ?  " 

The  detective  fixed  a  penetrating  look  upon  his  com- 
panion, and  in  a  measured  tone,  said : 

"  From  neither  one." 

M.  Plantat  only  answered  by  a  movement  of  the 
lips,  as  if  to  say,  "  You  are  going  too  far." 

The  other  smiled,  opened  the  door,  and  called : 

"  Fransois !  " 

The  valet  hastened  to  obey  the  call.  His  face  was 
suffused  with  tears;  he  actually  bewailed  the  loss  of 
his  master. 

"  Hear  what  I've  got  to  say,  my  lad,"  said  M.  Lecoq, 
with  true  detective-like  familiarity.  "  And  be  sure  and 
answer  me  exactly,  frankly,  and  briefly." 

"  I  will,  sir." 

"  Was  it  customary  here  at  the  chateau,  to  bring  up 
the  wine  before  it  was  wanted  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  before  each  meal,  I  myself  went  down  to 
the  cellar  for  it." 

"  Then  no  full  bottles  were  ever  kept  in  the  dining- 
room  ?  " 

"  Never." 

"  But  some  of  the  wine  might  sometimes  remain  in 
draught?" 

"  No ;  the  count  permitted  me  to  carry  the  dessert 
wine  to  the  servants'  table." 

"  And  where  were  the  empty  bottles  put?  " 

"  I  put  them  in  this  corner  cupboard,  and  when  they 
amounted  to  a  certain  number,  I  carried  them  down 
cellar." 

"  When  did  you  last  do  so?  " 


THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          79 

"  Oh  " — Frangois  reflected — "  at  least  five  or  six 
days  ago." 

"  Good.    Now,  what  liqueurs  did  the  count  drink?  " 

"  The  count  scarcely  ever  drank  liqueurs.  If,  by 
chance,  he  took  a  notion  to  have  a  small  glass  of  eau- 
de-vie,  he  got  it  from  the  liqueur  closet,  there,  over  the 
stove." 

"  There  were  no  decanters  of  rum  or  cognac  in  any 
of  the  cupboards  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Thanks  ;  you  may  retire." 

As  Frangois  was  going  out,  M.  Lecoq  called  him 
back. 

"  While  we  are  about  it,  look  in  the  bottom  of  the 
closet,  and  see  if  you  find  the  right  number  of  empty 
bottles." 

The  valet  obeyed,  and  looked  into  the  closet. 

"  There  isn't  one  there." 

"  Just  so,"  returned  M.  Lecoq.  "  This  time,  show 
us  your  heels  for  good." 

As  soon  as  Frangois  had  shut  the  door,  M.  Lecoq 
turned  to  Plantat  and  asked : 

"  What  do  you  think  now  ?  " 

"  You  were  perfectly  right." 

The  detective  then  smelt  successively  each  glass  and 
bottle. 

"  Good  again !    Another  proof  in  aid  of  my  guess." 

"What  more?" 

"  It  was  not  wine  that  was  at  the  bottom  of  these 
glasses.  Among  all  the  empty  bottles  put  away  in  the 
bottom  of  that  closet,  there  was  one — here  it  is — which 
had  contained  vinegar;  and  it  was  from  this  bottle  that 
they  turned  what  they  thought  to  be  wine  into  the 
glasses." 


8o          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

Seizing-  a  glass,  he  put  it  to  M.  Plantat's  nose,  add" 
ing: 

"  See  for  yourself." 

There  was  no  disputing  it;  the  vinegar  was  good, 
its  odor  of  the  strongest ;  the  villains,  in  their  haste, 
had  left  behind  them  an  incontestable  proof  of  their 
intention  to  mislead  the  officers  of  justice.  While  they 
were  capable  of  shrewd  inventions,  they  did  not  have 
the  art  to  perform  them  well.  All  their  oversights 
could,  however,  be  accounted  for  by  their  sudden 
haste,  caused  by  the  occurrence  of  an  unlooked-for  in- 
cident. "  The  floors  of  a  house  where  a  crime  has  just 
been  committed,"  said  a  famous  detective,  "  burn  the 
feet."  M.  Lecoq  seemed  exasperated,  like  a  true  artist, 
before  the  gross,  pretentious,  and  ridiculous  work  of 
some  green  and  bungling  scholar. 

"  These  are  a  parcel  of  vulgar  ruffians,  truly !  able 
ones,  certainly ;  but  they  don't  know  their  trade  yet, 
the  wretches." 

M.  Lecoq,  indignant,  ate  three  or  four  lozenges  at  a 
mouthful. 

"  Come,  now,"  said  Plantat,  in  a  paternally  severe 
tone.  "  Don't  let's  get  angry.  The  people  have  failed 
in  address,  no  doubt ;  but  reflect  that  they  could  not, 
in  their  calculations,  take  account  of  the  craft  of  a  man 
like  you." 

M.  Lecoq,  who  had  the  vanity  which  all  actors  pos- 
sess, was  flattered  by  the  compliment,  and  but  poorly- 
dissimulated  an  expression  of  pleasure. 

"  We  must  be  indulgent ;  come  now,"  pursued  Plan- 
tat.  "  Besides,"  he  paused  a  moment  to  give  more 
weight  to  what  he  was  going  to  say,  "  besides,  you 
haven't  seen  everything  yet." 

No  one  could  tell  when  M.  Lecoq  was  playing  a 


8! 

comedy.  He  did  not  always  know,  himself.  This 
great  artist,  devoted  to  his  art,  practised  the  feigning 
of  all  the  emotions  of  the  human  soul,  just  as  he  ac- 
customed himself  to  wearing  all  sorts  of  costumes.  He 
was  very  indignant  against  the  assassins,  and  gesticu- 
lated about  in  great  excitement ;  but  he  never  ceased 
to  watch  Plantat  slyly,  and  the  last  words  of  the  latter 
made  him  prick  up  his  ears. 

"  Let's  see  the  rest,  then,"  said  he. 

As  he  followed  his  worthy  comrade  to  the  garden, 
he  renewed  his  confidences  to  the  dear  defunct. 

"  Confound  this  old  bundle  of  mystery !  We  can't 
take  -this  obstinate  fellow  by  surprise,  that's  clear. 
He'll  give  us  the  word  of  the  riddle  when  we  have 
guessed  it;  not  before.  He  is  as  strong  as  we,  my 
darling ;  he  only  needs  a  little  practice.  But  look  you 
— if  he  has  found  something  which  has  escaped  us,  he 
must  have  previous  information,  that  we  don't  know 
of." 

Nothing  had  been  disturbed  in  the  garden. 

"  See  here,  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  said  the  old  justice  of 
the  peace,  as  he  followed  a  winding  pathway  which  led 
to  the  river.  "  It  was  here  that  one  of  the  count's  slip- 
pers was  found;  below  there,  a  little  to  the  right  of 
these  geraniums,  his  silk  handkerchief  was  picked  up." 

They  reached  the  river-bank,  and  lifted,  with  great 
care,  the  planks  which  had  been  placed  there  to  pre- 
serve the  foot-prints. 

"  We  suppose,"  said  M.  Plantat,  "  that  the  countess, 
in  her  flight,  succeeded  in  getting  to  this  spot;  and 
that  here  they  caught  up  with  her  and  gave  her  a  fin- 
ishing blow." 

Was  this  really  Plantat's  opinion,  or  did  he  only  re- 
port the  morning's  theory  ?  M.  Lecoq  could  not  tell. 


82          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"  According  to  my  calculations,"  he  said,  "  the 
countess  could  not  have  fled,  but  was  brought  here 
already  dead,  or  logic  is  not  logic.  However,  let  us  ex- 
amine this  spot  carefully." 

He  knelt  down  and  studied  the  sand  on  the  path, 
the  stagnant  water,  and  the  reeds  and  water-plants. 
Then  going  along  a  little  distance,  he  threw  a  stone, 
approaching  again  to  see  the  effect  produced  on  the 
mud.  He  next  returned  to  the  house,  and  came  back 
again  under  the  willows,  crossing  the  lawn,  where  were 
still  clearly  visible  traces  of  a  heavy  burden  having 
been  dragged  over  it.  Without  the  least  respect  for  his 
pantaloons,  he  crossed  the  lawn  on  all-fours,  scrutiniz- 
ing the  smallest  blades  of  grass,  pulling  away  the  thick 
tufts  to  see  the  earth  better,  and  minutely  observing 
the  direction  of  the  broken  stems.  This  done,  he  said : 

"  My  conclusions  are  confirmed.  The  countess  was 
carried  across  here." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  it?  "  asked  Plantat. 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  old  man's  hesitation  this 
time;  he  was  clearly  undecided,  and  leaned  on  the 
other's  judgment  for  guidance. 

"  There  can  be  no  error,  possibly." 

The  detective  smiled,  as  he  added : 

"  Only,  as  two  heads  are  better  than  one,  I  will  ask 
you  to  listen  to  me,  and  then,  you  will  tell  me  what  you 
think." 

M.  Lecoq  had,  in  searching  about,  picked  up  a  little 
flexible  stick,  and  while  he  talked,  he  used  it  to  point 
out  this  and  that  object,  like  the  lecturer  at  the  pan- 
orama. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  Madame  de  Tremorel  did  not  fly 
from  her  murderers.  Had  she  been  struck  down  here, 
she  would  have  fallen  violently ;  her  weight,  therefore, 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          83 

would  have  made  the  water  spirt  to  some  distance,  as 
well  as  the  mud ;  and  we  should  certainly  have  found 
some  splashes." 

"  But  don't  you  think  that,  since  morning,  the 
sun " 

"  The  sun  would  have  absorbed  the  water ;  but  the 
stain  of  dry  mud  would  have  remained.  I  have  found 
nothing  of  the  sort  anywhere.  You  might  object,  that 
the  water  and  mud  would  have  spirted  right  and  left ; 
but  just  look  at  the  tufts  of  these  flags,  lilies,  and  stems 
of  cane — you  find  a  light  dust  on  every  one.  Do  you 
find  the  least  trace  of  a  drop  of  water?  No.  There 
was  then  no  splash,  therefore  no  violent  fall ;  therefore 
the  countess  was  not  killed  here ;  therefore  her  body 
was  brought  here,  and  carefully  deposited  where  you 
found  it." 

M.  Plantat  did  not  seem  to  be  quite  convinced  yet. 

"  But  there  are  the  traces  of  a  struggle  in  the  sand," 
said  he. 

His  companion  made  a  gesture  of  protest. 

"  Monsieur  deigns  to  have  his  joke ;  those  marks 
would  not  deceive  a  school-boy." 

"  It  appears  to  me,  however " 

"  There  can  be  no  mistake,  Monsieur  Plantat.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  the  sand  has  been  disturbed  and  thrown 
about.  But  all  these  trails  that  lay  bare  the  earth  which 
was  covered  by  the  sand,  were  made  by  the  same  foot. 
Perhaps  you  don't  believe  it.  They  were  made,  too, 
with  the  end  of  the  foot ;  that  you  may  see  for  your- 
self." 

"  Yes,  I  perceive  it." 

"  Very  well,  then ;  when  there  has  been  a  struggle 
on  ground  like  this,  there  are  always  two  distinct  kinds 
of  traces — those  of  the  assailant  and  those  of  the  vie- 


84          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

tim.  The  assailant,  throwing  himself  forward,  neces- 
sarily supports  himself  on  his  toes,  and  imprints  the 
fore  part  of  his  feet  on  the  earth.  The  victim,  on  the 
contrary,  falling  back,  and  trying  to  avoid  the  assault, 
props  himself  on  his  heels,  and  therefore  buries  the 
heels  in  the  soil.  If  the  adversaries  are  equally  strong, 
the  number  of  imprints  of  the  toes  and  the  heels  will 
be  nearly  equal,  according  to  the  chances  of  the  strug- 
gle. But  what  do  we  find  here  ?  " 

M.  Plantat  interrupted : 

"  Enough ;  the  most  incredulous  would  now  be  con- 
vinced." After  thinking  a  moment,  he  added : 

"  No,  there  is  no  longer  any  possible  doubt  of  it." 

M.  Lecoq  thought  that  his  argument  deserved  a  re- 
ward, and  treated  himself  to  two  lozenges  at  a  mouth- 
ful. 

"  I  haven't  done  yet,"  he  resumed.  "  Granted,  that 
the  countess  could  not  have  been  murdered  here ;  let's 
add  that  she  was  not  carried  hither,  but  dragged  along. 
There  are  only  two  ways  of  dragging  a  body ;  by  the 
shoulders,  and  in  this  case  the  feet,  scraping  along  the 
earth,  leave  two  parallel  trails;  or  by  the  legs — in 
which  case  the  head,  lying  on  the  earth,  leaves  a  single 
furrow,  and  that  a  wide  one." 

Plantat  nodded  assent. 

"  When  I  examined  the  lawn,"  pursued  M.  Lecoq, 
"  I  found  the  parallel  trails  of  the  feet,  but  yet  the  grass 
was  crushed  over  a  rather  wide  space.  How  was  that  ? 
Because  it  was  the  body,  not  of  a  man,  but  of  a  woman, 
which  was  dragged  across  the  lawn — of  a  woman  full- 
dressed,  with  heavy  petticoats ;  that,  in  short,  of  the 
countess,  and  not  of  the  count." 

M.  Lecoq  paused,  in  expectation  of  a  question,  or  a 
remark. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL          85 

But  the  old  justice  of  the  peace  did  not  seem  to  be 
listening,  and  appeared  to  be  plunged  in  the  deepest 
meditation.  Night  was  falling ;  a  light  fog  hung  like 
smoke  over  the  Seine. 

"  We  must  go  in,"  said  M.  Plantat,  abruptly,  "  and 
see  how  the  doctor  has  got  on  with  his  autopsy." 

They  slowly  approached  the  house.  The  judge  of 
instruction  awaited  them  on  the  steps.  He  appeared  to 
have  a  satisfied  air. 

"  I  am  going  to  leave  you  in  charge,"  said  he  to 
M.  Plantat,  "  for  if  I  am  to  see  the  procureur,  I  must 
go  at  once.  When  you  sent  for  him  this  morning, 
he  was  absent." 

M.  Plantat  bowed. 

"  I  shall  be  much  obliged  if  you  will  watch  this  af- 
fair to  the  end.  The  doctor  will  have  finished  in  a  few 
minutes,  he  says,  and  will  report  to-morrow  morning. 
I  count  on  your  co-operation  to  put  seals  wherever 
they  are  necessary,  and  to  select  the  guard  over  the 
chateau.  I  shall  send  an  architect  to  draw  up  an  exact 
plan  of  the  house  and  garden.  Well,  sir,"  asked  M. 
Domini,  turning  to  the  detective,  "  have  you  made  any 
fresh  discoveries  ?  " 

"  I  have  found  some  important  facts ;  but  I  cannot 
speak  decisively  till  I  have  seen  everything  by  day- 
light. If  you  will  permit  me,  I  will  postpone  making 
my  report  till  to-morrow  afternoon.  I  think  I  may 
say,  however,  that  complicated  as  this  affair  is " 

M.  Domini  did  not  let  him  finish. 

"  I  see  nothing  complicated  in  the  affair  at  all ;  every- 
thing strikes  me  as  very  simple." 

"  But,"  objected  M.  Lecoq,  "  I  thought " 

"  I  sincerely  regret,"  continued  the  judge,  "  that  you 
were  so  hastily  called,  when  there  was  really  no  seri- 


86 

ous  reason  for  it.  The  evidences  against  the  arrested 
men  are  very  conclusive." 

Plantat  and  Lecoq  exchanged  a  long  look,  betray- 
ing their  great  surprise. 

"  \\hat !  "  exclaimed  the  former,  "  have  you  dis- 
covered any  new  indications  ?  "  . 

"  More  than  indications,  I  believe,"  responded  M. 
Domini.  "  Old  Bertaud,  whom  I  have  again  ques- 
tioned, begins  to  be  uneasy.  He  has  quite  lost  his 
arrogant  manner.  I  succeeded  in  making  him  contra- 
dict himself  several  times,  and  he  finished  by  confess- 
ing that  he  saw  the  assassins." 

"  The  assassins !  "  exclaimed  M.  Plantat.  "  Did  he 
say  assassins  ?  " 

"  He  saw  at  least  one  of  them.  He  persists  in  de- 
claring that  he  did  not  recognize  him.  That's  where 
we  are.  But  prison  walls  have  salutary  terrors.  To- 
morrow after  a  sleepless  night,  the  fellow  will  be  more 
explicit,  if  I  mistake  not." 

"  But  Guespin,"  anxiously  asked  the  old  man,  "  have 
you  questioned  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  as  for  him,  everything  is  clear." 

*'  Has  he  confessed  ?  "  asked  M.  Lecoq,  stupefied. 

The  judge  half  turned  toward  the  detective,  as  if  he 
were  displeased  that  M.  Lecoq  should  dare  to  question 
him. 

"  Guespin  has  not  confessed,"  he  answered,  "  but  his 
case  is  none  the  better  for  that.  Our  searchers  have 
returned.  They  haven't  yet  found  the  count's  body, 
and  I  think  it  has  been  carried  down  by  the  current. 
But  they  found  at  the  end  of  the  park,  the  count's 
other  slipper,  among  the  roses ;  and  under  the  bridge, 
in  the  middle  of  the  river,  they  discovered  a  thick  vest 
which  still  bears  the  marks  of  blood." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          87 

"  And  that  vest  is  Guespin's?  " 

"  Exactly  so.  It  was  recognized  by  all  the  domes- 
lies,  and  Guespin  himself  did  not  hesitate  to  admit  that 
it  belonged  to  him.  But  that  is  not  all " 

M.  Domini  stopped  as  if  to  take  breath,  but  really 
to  keep  Plantat  in  suspense.  As  they  differed  in  their 
theories,  he  thought  Plantat  betrayed  a  stupid  oppo- 
sition to  him ;  and  he  was  not  sorry  to  have  a  chance 
for  a  little  triumph. 

"  That  is  not  all,"  he  went  on ;  "  this  vest  had,  in 
the  right  pocket,  a  large  rent,  and  a  piece  of  it  had  been 
torn  off.  Do  you  know  what  became  of  that  piece  of 
Guespin's  vest?  " 

"  Ah,"  muttered  M.  Plantat,  "  it  was  that  which  we 
found  in  the  countess's  hand." 

"  You  are  right,  Monsieur.  And  what  think  you  of 
this  proof,  pray,  of  the  prisoner's  guilt  ?  " 

M.  Plantat  seemed  amazed ;  his  arms  fell  at  his  side. 
As  for  M.  Lecoq,  who,  in  presence  of  the  judge,  had 
resumed  his  haberdasher  manner,  he  was  so  much  sur- 
prised that  he  nearly  strangled  himself  with  a  lozenge. 

"  A  thousand  devils !  "  exclaimed  he.  "  That's 
tough,  that  is !  "  He  smiled  sillily,  and  added  in  a  low 
tone,  meant  only  for  Plantat's  ear : 

"  Mighty  tough !  Though  quite  foreseen  in  our  cal- 
culations. The  countess  held  a  piece  of  cloth  tightly 
in  her  hand ;  therefore  it  was  put  there,  intentionally, 
by  the  murderers." 

M.  Domini  did  not  hear  this  remark.  He  shook 
hands  with  M.  Plantat  and  made  an  appointment  to 
meet  him  on  the  morrow,  at  the  court-house.  Then  he 
went  away  with  his  clerk. 

Guespin  and  old  Bertaud,  handcuffed,  had  a  few 


88          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

minutes  before  been  led  off  to  the  prison  of  Corbeil, 
under  the  guard  of  the  Orcival  gendarmes. 


VIII 

Dr.  Gendron  had  just  finished  his  sad  task  in  the 
billiard-room.  He  had  taken  off  his  long  coat,  and 
pulled  up  his  shirt-sleeves  above  his  elbows.  His  in- 
struments lay  on  a  table  near  him  ;  he  had  covered  the 
body  with  a  long  white  sheet.  Night  had  come,  and 
a  large  lamp,  with  a  crystal  globe,  lighted  up  the 
gloomy  scene.  The  doctor,  leaning  over  a  water-basin, 
was  washing  his  hands,  when  the  old  justice  of  the 
peace  and  the  detective  entered. 

"  Ah,  it's  you,  Plantat,"  said  the  doctor  in  a  sup- 
pressed tone ;  "  where  is  Monsieur  Domini  ?  " 

"Gone." 

The  doctor  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  repress  a 
vexed  motion. 

"  I  must  speak  with  him,  though,"  said  he,  "  it's  ab- 
solutely necessary — and  the  sooner  the  better ;  for  per- 
haps I  am  wrong — I  may  be  mistaken " 

M.  Lecoq  and  M.  Plantat  approached  him,  having 
carefully  closed  the  door.  The  doctor  was  paler  than 
the  corpse  which  lay  under  the  sheet.  His  usually  calm 
features  betrayed  great  distress.  This  change  could 
not  have  been  caused  by  the  task  in  which  he  had  been 
engaged.  Of  course  it  was  a  painful  one ;  but  M. 
Gendron  was  one  of  those"  experienced  practitioners 
who  have  felt  the  pulse  of  every  human  misery,  and 
whose  disgust  had  become  torpid  by  the  most  hideous 
spectacles.  He  must  have  discovered  something  ex- 
traordinary. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL          89 

"  I  am  going  to  ask  you  what  you  asked  me  a  while 
ago,"  said  M.  Plantat.  "  Are  you  ill  or  suffering?  " 

M.  Gendron  shook  his  head  sorrowfully,  and  an- 
swered, slowly  and  emphatically : 

"  I  will  answer  you,  as  you  did  me ;  'tis  nothing,  I 
am  already  better." 

Then  these  two,  equally  profound,  turned  away  their 
heads,  as  if  fearing  to  exchange  their  ideas;  they 
doubted  lest  their  looks  should  betray  them. 

M.  Lecoq  advanced  and  spoke. 

"  I  believe  I  know  the  cause  of  the  doctor's  emotion. 
He  has  just  discovered  that  Madame  de  Tremorel  was 
killed  by  a  single  blow,  and  that  the  assassins  afterward 
set  themselves  to  disfiguring  the  body,  when  it  was 
nearly  cold." 

The  doctor's  eyes  fastened  on  the  detective,  with  a 
stupefied  expression. 

"  How  could  you  divine  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  guess  it  alone ;  I  ought  to  share  the 
honor  of  the  theory  which  has  enabled  us  to  foresee 
this  fact,  with  Monsieur  Plantat." 

"  Oh,"  cried  the  doctor,  striking  his  forehead,  "  now, 
I  recollect  your  advice ;  in  my  worry,  I  must  say,  I  had 
quite  forgotten  it.  Well,"  he  added,  "  your  foresight 
is  confirmed.  Perhaps  not  so  much  time  as  you  sup- 
pose elapsed  between  the  first  blow  and  the  rest ;  but  I 
am  convinced  that  the  countess  had  ceased  to  live 
nearly  three  hours,  when  the  last  blows  were  struck." 

M.  Gendron  went  to  the  billiard-table,  and  slowly 
raised  the  sheet,  discovering  the  head  and  part  of  the 
bust. 

"  Let  us  inform  ourselves,  Plantat,"  he  said. 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  took  the  lamp,  and 
passed  to  the  other  side  of  the  table.  His  hand  trem- 


90          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

bled  so  that  the  globe  tingled.  The  vacillating  light 
cast  gloomy  shadows  upon  the  walls.  The  countess's 
face  had  been  carefully  bathed,  the  blood  and  mud  ef- 
faced. The  marks  of  the  blows  were  thus  more  visible, 
but  they  still  found  upon  that  livid  countenance,  the 
traces  of  its  beauty.  M.  Lecoq  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  leaning  over  to  see  more  clearly. 

"  The  countess,"  said  Dr.  Gendron,  "  received  eigh- 
teen blows  from  a  dagger.  Of  these,  but  one  is  mor- 
tal ;  it  is  this  one,  the  direction  of  which  is  nearly  verti- 
cal— a  little  below  the  shoulder,  you  see."  He  pointed 
out  the  wound,  sustaining  the  body  in  his  left  arm. 
The  eyes  had  preserved  a  frightful  expression.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  half-open  mouth  were  about  to  cry 
"Help!  Help!" 

Plantat,  the  man  with  a  heart  of  stone,  turned  away 
his  head,  and  the  doctor,  having  mastered  his  first  emo- 
tion, continued  in  a  professionally  apathetic  tone : 

"  The  blade  must  have  been  an  inch  wide,  and  eight 
inches  long.  All  the  other  wounds — those  on  the 
arms,  breast,  and  shoulders,  are  comparatively  slight. 
They  must  have  been  inflicted  at  least  two  hours  after 
that  which  caused  death." 

"  Good,"  said  M.  Lecoq. 

"  Observe  that  I  am  not  positive,"  returned  the  doc- 
tor quickly.  "  I  merely  state  a  probability.  The  phe- 
nomena on  which  I  base  my  own  conviction  are  too 
fugitive,  too  capricious  in  their  nature,  to  enable  me  to 
be  absolutely  certain." 

This  seemed  to  disturb  M.  Lecoq. 

"  But,  from  the  moment  when " 

"  What  I  can  affirm,"  interrupted  Dr.  Gendron, 
"  what  I  would  affirm  under  oath,  is,  that  all  the 
wounds  on  the  head,  excepting  one,  were  inflicted  after 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          91 

death.  No  doubt  of  that  whatever — none  whatever. 
Here,  above  the  eye,  is  the  blow  given  while  the  coun- 
tess was  alive." 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Doctor,"  observed  M.  Lecoq,  "that 
we  may  conclude  from  the  proved  fact  that  the  count- 
ess, after  death,  was  struck  by  a  flat  implement,  that 
she  had  also  ceased  to  live  when  she  was  mutilated  by 
the  knife." 

M.  Gendron  reflected  a  moment. 

"  It  is  possible  that  you  are  right ;  as  for  me,  I  am 
persuaded  of  it.  Still  the  conclusions  in  my  report  will 
not  be  yours.  The  physician  consulted  by  the  law, 
should  only  pronounce  upon  patent,  demonstrated 
facts.  If  he  has  a  doubt,  even  the  slightest,  he  should 
hold  his  tongue.  I  will  say  more  ;  if  there  is  any  un- 
certainty, my  opinion  is  that  the  accused,  and  not  the 
prosecution,  should  have  the  benefit  of  it." 

This  was  certainly  not  the  detective's  opinion,  but 
he  was  cautious  not  to  say  so.  He  had  followed  Dr. 
Gendron  with  anxious  attention,  and  the  contraction 
of  his  face  showed  the  travail  of  his  mind. 

"  It  seems  to  me  now  possible,"  said  he,  "  to  deter- 
mine how  and  where  the  countess  was  struck." 

The  doctor  had  covered  the  body,  and  Plantat  had 
replaced  the  lamp  on  the  little  table.  Both  asked  M. 
Lecoq  to  explain  himself. 

"  Very  well,"  resumed  the  detective.  "  The  direc- 
tion of  the  wound  proves  to  me  that  the  countess  was 
in  her  chamber  taking  tea,  seated,  her  body  inclined  a 
little  forward,  when  she  was  murdered.  The  assassin 
came  up  behind  her  with  his  arm  raised  ;  he  chose  his 
position  coolly,  and  struck  her  with  terrific  force.  The 
violence  of  the  blow  was  such  that  the  victim  fell  for- 
ward, and  in  the  fall,  her  forehead  struck  the  end  of  the 


92          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

table ;  she  thus  gave  herself  the  only  fatal  blow  which 
we  have  discovered  on  the  head." 

M.  Gendron  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  his 
companions,  who  exchanged  significant  glances.  Per- 
haps he  suspected  the  game  they  were  playing. 

"  The  crime  must  evidently  have  been  committed  as 
you  say,"  said  he. 

There  was  another  embarrassing  silence.  M.  Le- 
coq's  obstinate  muteness  annoyed  Plantat,  who  finally 
asked  him : 

"  Have  you  seen  all  you  want  to  see  ?  " 

"  All  for  to-day ;  I  shall  need  daylight  for  what  re- 
mains. I  am  confident,  indeed,  that  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  detail  that  worries  me,  I  have  the  key  to  the 
mystery." 

"  We  must  be  here,  then,  early  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  will  be  here  at  any  hour  you  will  name." 

"  Your  search  finished,  we  will  go  together  to  Mon- 
sieur Domini,  at  Corbeil." 

"  I  am  quite  at  your  orders." 

There  was  another  pause. 

M.  Plantat  perceived  that  M.  Lecoq  guessed  his 
thoughts,  and  did  not  understand  the  detective's  capri- 
ciousness ;  a  little  while  before,  he  had  been  very  lo- 
quacious, but  now  held  his  tongue.  M.  Lecoq,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  delighted  to  puzzle  the  old  man  a  little, 
and  formed  the  intention  to  astonish  him  the  next 
morning,  by  giving  him  a  report  which  should  faith- 
fully reflect  all  his  ideas.  Meanwhile  he  had  taken  out 
his  lozenge-box,  and  was  intrusting  a  hundred  secrets 
to  the  portrait. 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  there  remains  nothing 
more  to  be  done,  except  to  retire." 


93 

"  I  was  just  going  to  ask  permission  to  do  so/'  said 
M.  Lecoq.  "  I  have  been  fasting  ever  since  morning." 

M.  Plantat  now  took  a  bold  step. 

"  Shall  you  return  to  Paris  to-night,  Monsieur  Le- 
coq? "  asked  he,  abruptly. 

"  No ;  I  came  prepared  to  remain  over-night ;  I've 
brought  my  night-gown,  which  I  left,  before  coming 
up  here,  at  the  little  roadside  inn  below.  I  shall  sup 
and  sleep  there." 

"  You  will  be  poorly  off  at  the  Faithful  Grenadier," 
said  the  old  justice  of  the  peace.  "  You  will  do  better 
to  come  and  dine  with  me." 

"  You  are  really  too  good,  Monsieur " 

"  Besides,  we  have  a  good  deal  to  say,  and  so  you 
must  remain  the  night  with  me;  we  will  get  your 
night-clothes  as  we  pass  along." 

M.  Lecoq  bowed,  flattered  and  grateful  for  the  invi- 
tation. 

"  And  I  shall  carry  you  off,  too,  Doctor,"  continued 
M.  Plantat,  "  whether  you  will  or  not.  Now,  don't 
say  no.  If  you  insist  on  going  to  Corbeil  to-night,  we 
will  carry  you  over  after  supper." 

The  operation  of  fixing  the  seals  was  speedily  con- 
cluded ;  narrow  strips  of  parchment,  held  by  large 
waxen  seals,  were  affixed  to  all  the  doors,  as  well  as  to 
the  bureau  in  which  the  articles  gathered  for  the  pur- 
poses of  the  investigation  had  been  deposited. 

IX 

Despite  the  haste  they  made,  it  was  nearly  ten 
o'clock  when  M.  Plantat  and  his  guests  quitted  the 
chateau  of  Valfeuillu.  Instead  of  taking  the  high 
road,  they  cut  across  a  pathway  which  ran  along  be- 


94          THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

side  Mme.  de  Lanascol's  park,  and  led  diagonally  to 
the  wire  bridge ;  this  was  the  shortest  way  to  the  inn 
where  M.  Lecoq  had  left  his  slight  baggage.  As  they 
went  along,  M.  Plantat  grew  anxious  about  his  good 
friend,  M.  Courtois. 

"  What  misfortune  can  have  happened  to  him  ?  "  said 
he  to  Dr.  Gendron. 

"  Thanks  to  the  stupidity  of  that  rascal  of  a  servant, 
we  learned  nothing  at  all.  This  letter  from  Mademoi- 
selle Laurence  has  caused  the  trouble,  somehow." 

They  had  now  reached  the  Faithful  Grenadier. 

A  big  red-faced  fellow  was  smoking  a  long  pipe  at 
the  door,  his  back  against  the  house.  He  was  talking 
with  a  railway  employee.  It  was  the  landlord. 

"  Well,  Monsieur  Plantat,"  he  cried,  "  what  a  hor- 
rible affair  this  is  !  Come  in,  come  in ;  there  are  sev- 
eral folks  in  the  hall  who  saw  the  assassins.  What  a 
villain  old  Bertaud  is !  And  that  Guespin ;  ah,  I  would 
willingly  trudge  to  Corbeil  to  see  them  put  up  the 
scaffold !  " 

"  A  little  charity,  Master  Lenfant ;  you  forget  that 
both  these  men  were  among  your  best  customers." 

Master  Lenfant  was  confused  by  this  reply ;  but  his 
native  impudence  soon  regained  the  mastery. 

"  Fine  customers,  parbleu !  "  he  answered,  "  this 
thief  of  a  Guespin  has  got  thirty  francs  of  mine  which 
I'll  never  see  again." 

"  Who  knows  ? "  said  Plantat,  ironically.  "  Be- 
sides, you  are  going  to  make  more  than  that  to-night, 
there's  so  much  company  at  the  Orcival  festival." 

During  this  brief  conversation,  M.  Lecoq  entered  the 
inn  for  his  night-gown.  His  office  being  no  longer  a 
secret,  he  was  not  now  welcomed  as  when  he  was  taken 
for  a  simple  retired  haberdasher.  Mme.  Lenfant,  a  lady 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          95 

who  had  no  need  of  her  husband's  aid  to  show  penni- 
less sots  the  door,  scarcely  deigned  to  answer  him. 
When  he  asked  how  much  he  owed,  she  responded, 
with  a  contemptuous  gesture,  "  Nothing."  When  he 
returned  to  the  door,  his  night-gown  in  hand,  M.  Plan- 
tat  said : 

"  Let's  hurry,  for  I  want  to  get  news  of  our  poor 
mayor." 

The  three  hastened  their  steps,  and  the  old  justice  of 
the  peace,  oppressed  with  sad  presentiments,  and  try- 
ing to  combat  them,  continued : 

"  If  anything  had  happened  at  the  mayor's,  I  should 
certainly  have  been  informed  of  it  by  this  time.  Per- 
haps Laurence  has  written  that  she  is  ill,  or  a  little  in- 
disposed. Madame  Courtois,  who  is  the  best  woman 
in  the  world,  gets  excited  about  nothing ;  she  probably 
wanted  to  send  her  husband  for  Laurence  at  once. 
You'll  see  that  it's  some  false  alarm." 

No ;  some  catastrophe  had  happened.  A  number  of 
the  village  women  were  standing  before  the  mayor's 
gate.  Baptiste,  in  the  midst  of  the  group,  was  ranting 
and  gesticulating.  But  at  M.  Plantat's  approach,  the 
women  fled  like  a  troop  of  frightened  gulls.  The  old 
man's  unexpected  appearance  annoyed  the  placid  Bap- 
tiste not  a  little,  for  he  was  interrupted,  by  the  sudden 
departure  of  his  audience,  in  the  midst  of  a  superb  ora- 
torical flight.  As  he  had  a  great  fear  of  M.  Plantat, 
however,  he  dissimulated  his  chagrin  with  his  habitual 
smile. 

"  Ah,  sir,"  cried  he,  when  M.  Plantat  was  three  steps 
off,  "  ah,  what  an  affair !  I  was  going  for  you " 

"  Does  your  master  wish  me?  " 

"  More  than  you  can  think.  He  ran  so  fast  from 
Valfeuillu  here,  that  I  could  scarcely  keep  up  with  him. 


96         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

He's  not  usually  fast,  you  know ;  but  you  ought  to 
have  seen  him  this  time,  fat  as  he  is !  " 

M.  Plantat  stamped  impatiently. 

"  Wei!,  we  got  here  at  last,"  resumed  the  man,  "  and 
monsieur  rushed  into  the  drawing-room,  where  he 
found  madame  sobbing  like  a  Magdalene.  He  was  so 
out  of  breath  he  could  scarcely  speak.  His  eyes  stuck 
out  of  his  head,  and  he  stuttered  like  this — '  What's — 
the — matter  ?  What's  the — matter  ?  '  Madame,  who 
couldn't  speak  either,  held  out  mademoiselle's  letter, 
which  she  had  in  her  hand." 

The  three  auditors  were  on  coals  of  fire ;  the  rogue 
perceived  it,  and  spoke  more  and  more  slowly. 

"  Then  monsieur  took  the  letter,  went  to  the  win- 
dow, and  at  a  glance  read  it  through.  He  cried  out 
hoarsely,  thus :  '  Oh ! '  then  he  went  to  beating  the  air 
with  his  hands,  like  a  swimming  dog ;  then  he  walked 
up  and  down  and  fell,  pouf !  like  a  bag,  his  face  on  the 
floor.  That  was  all." 

"  Is  he  dead  ?  "  cried  all  three  in  the  same  breath. 

"  Oh,  no ;  you  shall  see,"  responded  Baptiste,  with 
a  placid  smile. 

M.  Lecoq  was  a  patient  man,  but  not  so  patient  as 
you  might  think.  Irritated  by  the  manner  of  Bap- 
tiste's  recital,  he  put  down  his  bundle,  seized  the  man's 
arm  with  his  right  hand,  while  with  the  left  he  whisked 
a  light  flexible  cane,  and  said : 

*'  Look  here,  fellow,  I  want  you  to  hurry  up,  you 
know." 

That  was  all  he  said ;  the  servant  was  terribly  afraid 
of  this  little  blond  man,  with  a  strange  voice,  and  a  fist 
harder  than  a  vice.  He  went  on  very  rapidly  this  time, 
his  eye  fixed  on  M.  Lecoq's  rattan. 

"  Monsieur  had  an  attack  of  vertigo.     All  the  house 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          97 

was  in  confusion  ;•  everybody  except  I,  lost  their  heads ; 
it  occurred  to  me  to  go  for  a  doctor,  and  I  started  off 
for  one — for  Doctor  Gendron,  whom  I  knew  to  be  at 
the  chateau,  or  the  doctor  near  by,  or  the  apothecary — 
it  mattered  not  who.  By  good  luck,  at  the  street  cor- 
ner, I  came  upon  Robelot,  the  bone-setter — '  Come, 
follow  me,'  said  I.  He  did  so ;  sent  away  those  who 
were  tending  monsieur,  and  bled  him  in  both  arms. 
Shortly  after,  he  breathed,  then  he  opened  his  eyes,  and 
then  he  spoke.  Now  he  is  quite  restored,  and  is  lying 
on  one  of  the  drawing-room  lounges,  crying  with  all 
his  might.  He  told  me  he  wanted  to  see  Monsieur 
Plantat,  and  I " 

"  And — Mademoiselle  Laurence  ?  "  asked  M.  Plan- 
tat,  with  a  trembling  voice.  Baptiste  assumed  a  tragic 
pose. 

"  Ah,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  don't  ask  me  about  her 
— 'tis  heartrending !  " 

The  doctor  and  M.  Plantat  heard  no  more,  but  hur- 
ried in ;  M.  Lecoq  followed,  having  confided  his  night- 
gown to  Baptiste,  with,  "  Carry  that  to  M.  Plantat's — 
quick !  " 

Misfortune,  when  it  enters  a  house,  seems  to  leave 
its  fatal  imprint  on  the  very  threshold.  Perhaps  it  is 
not  really  so,  but  it  is  the  feeling  which  those  who  are 
summoned  to  it  experience.  As  the  physician  and  the 
justice  of  the  peace  traversed  the  court-yard,  this  house, 
usually  so  gay  and  hospitable,  presented  a  mournful 
aspect.  Lights  were  seen  coming  and  going  in  the 
upper  story.  Mile.  Lucile,  the  mayor's  youngest 
daughter,  had  had  a  nervous  attack,  and  was  being 
tended.  A  young  girl,  who  served  as  Laurence's 
maid,  was  seated  in  the  vestibule,  on  the  lower  stair, 
weeping  bitterly.  Several  domestics  were  there  also. 


98         THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

frightened,  motionless,  not  knowing  what  to  do  in  all 
this  fright.  The  drawing-room  door  was  wide  open ; 
the  room  was  dimly  lighted  by  two  candles;  Mme. 
Courtois  lay  rather  than  sat  in  a  large  arm-chair  near 
the  fireplace.  Her  husband  was  reclining  on  a  lounge 
near  the  windows  at  the  rear  of  the  apartment.  They 
had  taken  off  his  coat  and  had  torn  away  his  shirt- 
sleeves and  flannel  vest,  when  he  was  to  be  bled. 
There  were  strips  of  cotton  wrapped  about  his  naked 
arms.  A  small  man,  habited  like  a  well-to-do  Parisian 
artisan,  stood  near  the  door,  with  an  embarrassed  ex- 
pression of  countenance.  It  was  Robelot,  who  had  re- 
mained, lest  any  new  exigency  for  his  services  should 
arise. 

The  entrance  of  his  friend  startled  M.  Courtois  from 
the  sad  stupor  into  which  he  had  been  plunged.  He 
got  up  and  staggered  into  the  arms  of  the  worthy  Plan- 
tat,  saying,  in  a  broken  voice : 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  I  am  most  miserable — most  wretch- 
ed!" 

The  poor  mayor  was  so  changed  as  scarcely  to  be 
recognizable.  He  was  no  longer  the  happy  man  of 
the  world,  with  smiling  face,  firm  look,  the  pride  of 
which  betrayed  plainly  his  self-importance  and  pros- 
perity. In  a  few  hours  he  had  grown  twenty  years 
older.  He  was  broken,  overwhelmed ;  his  thoughts 
wandered  in  a  sea  of  bitterness.  He  could  only  repeat, 
vacantly,  again  and  again : 

"  Wretched !  most  wretched !  " 

M.  Plantat  was  the  right  sort  of  a  friend  for  such  a 
time.  He  led  M.  Courtois  back  to  the  sofa  and  sat 
down  beside  him,  and  taking  his  hand  in  his  own, 
forced  him  to  calm  his  grief.  He  recalled  to  him  that 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL          99 

his  wife,  the  companion  of  his  life,  remained  to  him,  to 
mourn  the  dear  departed  with  him.  Had  he  not  an- 
other daughter  to  cherish  ?  But  the  poor  man  was  in 
no  state  to  listen  to  all  this. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,"  said  he  shuddering,  "  you  do  not 
know  all !  If  she  had  died  here,  in  the  midst  of  us, 
comforted  by  our  tender  care,  my  despair  would  be 
great;  but  nothing  compared  with  that  which  now 
tortures  me.  If  you  only  knew " 

M.  Plantat  rose,  as  if  terrified  by  what  he  was  about 
to  hear. 

"  But  who  can  tell,"  pursued  the  wretched  man, 
"  where  or  how  she  died  ?  Oh,  my  Laurence,  was 
there  no  one  to  hear  your  last  agony  and  save  you? 
What  has  become  of  you,  so  young  and  happy  ?  " 

He  rose,  shaking  with  anguish  and  cried  : 

"  Let  us  go,  Plantat,  and  look  for  her  at  the 
Morgue."  Then  he  fell  back  again,  muttering  the 
lugubrious  word,  "  the  Morgue." 

The  witnesses  of  this  scene  remained  mute,  motion- 
less, rigid,  holding  their  breath.  The  stifled  sobs  and 
groans  of  Mme.  Courtois  and  the  little  maid  alone 
broke  the  silence. 

"  You  know  that  I  am  your  friend — your  best 
friend,"  said  M.  Plantat,  softly;  "confide  in  me — tell 
me  all." 

"  Well,"  commenced  M.  Courtois,  "know  " — but  his 
tears  choked  his  utterance,  and  he  could  not  go  on. 
Holding  out  a  crumpled  letter,  wet  with  tears,  he  stam- 
mered : 

"  Here,  read — it  is  her  last  letter." 

M.  Plantat  approached  the  table,  and,  not  without 
difficulty,  read : 


ioo        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

" DEARLY  BELOVED  PARENTS — 

"  Forgive,  forgive,  I  beseech  you,  your  unhappy 
daughter,  the  distress  she  is  about  to  cause  you.  Alas ! 
I  have  been  very  guilty,  but  the  punishment  is  terrible ! 
In  a  day  of  wandering,  I  forgot  all — the  example  and 
advice  of  my  dear,  sainted  mother,  my  most  sacred, 
duty,  and  your  tenderness.  I  could  not,  no,  I  could  not 
resist  him  who  wept  before  me  in  swearing  for  me  an 
eternal  love — and  who  has  abandoned  me.  Now,  all 
is  over;  I  am  lost,  lost.  I  cannot  long  conceal  my 
dreadful  sin.  Oh,  dear  parents,  do  not  curse  me.  I 
am  your  daughter — I  cannot  bear  to  face  contempt,  I 
will  not  survive  my  dishonor. 

"  When  this  letter  reaches  you,  I  shall  have  ceased  to 
live;  I  shall  have  quitted  my  aunt's,  and  shall  have 
gone  far  away,  where  no  one  will  find  me.  There  I 
shall  end  my  misery  and  despair.  Adieu,  then,  oh,  be- 
loved parents,  adieu!  I  would  that  I  could,  for  the 
last  time,  beg  your  forgiveness  on  my  knees.  My  dear 
mother,  my  good  father,  have  pity  on  a  poor  wanderer ; 
pardon  me,  forgive  me.  Never  let  my  sister  Lucile 
know.  Once  more,  adieu — I  have  courage — honor 
commands !  For  you  is  the  last  prayer  and  supreme 
thought  of  your  poor  LAURENCE." 

Great  tears  rolled  silently  down  the  old  man's  cheeks 
as  he  deciphered  this  sad  letter.  A  cold,  mute,  terri- 
ble anger  shrivelled  the  muscles  of  his  face.  When  he 
had  finished,  he  said,  in  a  hoarse  voice: 

"  Wretch !  " 

M.  Courtois  heard  this  exclamation. 

"  Ah,  yes,  wretch  indeed,"  he  cried,  "  this  vile  villain 
who  has  crept  in  in  the  dark,  and  stolen  my  dearest 
treasure,  my  darling  child !  Alas,  she  knew  nothing  of 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        101 

life.  He  whispered  into  her  ear  those  fond  words 
which  make  the  hearts  of  all  young  girls  throb ;  she 
had  faith  in  him ;  and  now  he  abandons  her.  Oh,  if 
I  knew  who  he  was — if  I  knew " 

He  suddenly  interrupted  himself.  A  ray  of  intelli- 
gence had  just  illumined  the  abyss  of  despair  into 
which  he  had  fallen. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  a  young  girl  is  not  thus  abandoned, 
when  she  has  a  dowry  of  a  million,  unless  for  some 
good  reason.  Love  passes  away;  avarice  remains. 
The  infamous  wretch  was  not  free — he  was  married. 
He  could  only  be  the  Count  de  Tremorel.  It  is  he  who 
has  killed  my  child." 

The  profound  silence  which  succeeded  proved  to  him 
that  his  conjecture  was  shared  by  those  around  him. 

"  I  was  blind,  blind !  "  cried  he.  "  For  I  received 
him  at  my  house,  and  called  him  my  friend.  Oh,  have 
I  not  a  right  to  a  terrible  vengeance  ?  " 

But  the  crime  at  Valfeuillu  occurred  to  him ;  and  it 
was  with  a  tone  of  deep  disappointment  that  he  re- 
sumed : 

"  And  not  to  be  able  to  revenge  myself !  I  could 
not,  then,  kill  him  with  my  own  hands,  see  him  suffer 
for  hours,  hear  him  beg  for  mercy !  He  is  dead.  He 
has  fallen  under  the  blows  of  assassins,  less  vile  than 
himself." 

The  doctor  and  M.  Plantat  strove  to  comfort  the  un- 
happy man ;  but  he  went  on,  excited  more  and  more 
by  the  sound  of  his  own  voice. 

"  Oh,  Laurence,  my  beloved,  why  did  you  not  con- 
fide in  me  ?  You  feared  my  anger,  as  if  a  father  would 
ever  cease  to  love  his  child.  Lost,  degraded,  fallen  to 
the  ranks  of  the  vilest,  I  would  still  love  thee.  Were 
you  not  my  own  ?  Alas !  you  knew  not  a  father's 


102        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

heart.  A  father  does  not  pardon;  he  forgets.  You 
might  still  have  been  happy,  my  lost  love." 

He  wept;  a  thousand  memories  of  the  time  when 
Laurence  was  a  child  and  played  about  his  knees  re- 
curred to  his  mind;  it  seemed  as  though  it  were  but 
yesterday. 

"  Oh,  my  daughter,  was  it  that  you  feared  the  world 
— the  wicked,  hypocritical  world?  But  we  should 
have  gone  away.  I  should  have  left  Orcival,  resigned 
my  office.  We  should  have  settled  down  far  away,  in 
the  remotest  corner  of  France,  in  Germany,  in  Italy. 
With  money  all  is  possible.  All?  No!  I  have  mill- 
ions, and  yet  my  daughter  has  killed  herself." 

He  concealed  his  face  in  his  hands ;  his  sobs  choked 
him. 

"  And  not  to  know  what  has  become  of  her ! "  he 
continued.  "  Is  it  not  frightful  ?  What  death  did  she 
choose?  You  remember,  Doctor,  and  you,  Plantat, 
her  beautiful  curls  about  her  pure  forehead,  her  great, 
trembling  eyes,  her  long  curved  lashes?  Her  smile 
— do  you  know,  it  was  the  sun's  ray  of  my  life.  I  so 
loved  her  voice,  and  her  mouth  so  fresh,  which  gave 
me  such  warm,  loving  kisses.  Dead !  Lost !  And 
not  to  know  what  has  become  of  her  sweet  form — per- 
haps abandoned  in  the  mire  of  some  river.  Do  you 
recall  the  countess's  body  this  morning?  It  will  kill 
me !  Oh,  my  child — that  I  might  see  her  one  hour — 
one  minute — that  I  might  give  her  cold  lips  one  last 
kiss !  " 

M.  Lecoq  strove  in  vain  to  prevent  a  warm  tear 
which  ran  from  his  eyes,  from  falling.  M.  Lecoq  was 
a  stoic  on  principle,  and  by  profession.  But  the  deso- 
late words  of  the  poor  father  overcame  him.  Forget- 
ting that  his  emotion  would  be  seen,  he  came  out  from 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        103 

the  shadow  where  he  had  stood,  and  spoke  to  M. 
Courtois : 

"  I,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  of  the  detectives,  give  you  my 
honor  that  I  will  find  Mademoiselle  Laurence's  body." 

The  poor  mayor  grasped  desperately  at  this  prom- 
ise, as  a  drowning  man  to  a  straw. 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  will  find  her,  won't  we  ?  You  will  help 
me.  They  say  that  to  the  police  nothing  is  impos- 
sible— that  they  see  and  know  everything.  We  will 
see  what  has  become  of  my  child." 

He  went  toward  M.  Lecoq,  and  taking  him  by  the 
hand: 

"  Thank  you,"  added  he,  "  you  are  a  good  man.  I 
received  you  ill  a  while  ago,  and  judged  you  with  fool- 
ish pride :  forgive  me.  We  will  succeed — you  will  see, 
we  will  aid  each  other,  we  will  put  all  the  police  on  the 
scent,  we  will  search  through  France,  money  will  do 
it — I  have  it — I  have  millions — take  them " 

His  energies  were  exhausted :  he  staggered  and  fell 
heavily  on  the  lounge. 

"  He  must  not  remain  here  long,"  muttered  the  doc- 
tor in  Plantat's  ear,  "  he  must  get  to  bed.  A  brain 
fever,  after  such  excitement,  would  not  surprise  me." 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  at  once  approached 
Mme.  Courtois,  who  still  reclined  in  the  arm-chair, 
apparently  having  seen  or  heard  nothing  of  what  had 
passed,  and  oblivious  in  her  grief. 

"  Madame !  "  said  he,  "  Madame !  " 

She  shuddered  and  rose,  with  a  wandering  air. 

"  It  is  my  fault,"  said  she,  "  my  miserable  fault !  A 
mother  should  read  her  daughter's  heart  as  in  a  book. 
I  did  not  suspect  Laurence's  secret;  I  am  a  most  un- 
happy mother." 

The  doctor  also  came  to  her. 


io4        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  in  an  imperious  tone,  "  your 
husband  must  be  persuaded  to  go  to  bed  at  once.  His 
condition  is  very  serious,  and  a  little  sleep  is  absolutely 
necessary.  I  will  have  a  potion  prepared " 

"  Oh,  my  God ! "  cried  the  poor  lady,  wringing  her 
hands,  in  the  fear  of  a  new  misfortune,  as  bitter  as  the 
first ;  which,  however,  restored  her  to  her  presence  of 
mind.  She  called  the  servants,  who  assisted  the  may- 
or to  regain  his  chamber.  Mme.  Courtois  also  re- 
tired, followed  by  the  doctor.  Three  persons  only  re- 
mained in  the  drawing-room — Plantat,  Lecoq,  and 
Robelot,  who  still  stood  near  the  door. 

"  Poor  Laurence !  "  murmured  Plantat.  "  Poor 
girl!" 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  her  father  is  most  to  be  pitied," 
remarked  M.  Lecoq.  "  Such  a  blow,  at  his  age,  may 
be  more  than  he  can  bear.  Even  should  he  recover, 
his  life  is  broken." 

"  I  had  a  sort  of  presentiment,"  said  the  other,  "  that 
this  misfortune  would  come.  I  had  guessed  Lau- 
rence's secret,  but  I  guessed  it  too  late." 

"  And  you  did  not  try " 

"What?  In  a  delicate  case  like  this,  when  the 
honor  of  a  family  depends  on  a  word,  one  must  be  cir- 
cumspect. What  could  I  do?  Put  Courtois  on  his 
guard?  Clearly  not.  He  would  have  refused  to  be- 
lieve me.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  will  listen  to 
nothing,  and  whom  the  brutal  fact  alone  can  unde- 
ceive." 

"  You  might  have  dealt  with  the  Count  de  Tre- 
morel." 

"  The  count  would  have  denied  all.  He  would  have 
asked  what  right  I  had  to  interfere  in  his  affairs." 

"But  the  girl?" 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL         105 

M.  Plantat  sighed  heavily. 

"  Though  I  detest  mixing  up  with  what  does  not 
concern  me,  I  did  try  one  day  to  talk  with  her.  With 
infinite  precaution  and  delicacy,  and  without  letting 
her  see  that  I  knew  all,  I  tried  to  show  her  the  abyss 
near  which  she  was  drawing." 

"  And  what  did  she  reply  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  She  laughed  and  joked,  as  women  who 
have  a  secret  which  they  wish  to  conceal,  do.  Besides, 
I  could  not  get  a  quarter  of  an  hour  alone  with  her, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  act,  I  knew — for  I  was  her  best 
friend — before  committing  this  imprudence  of  speak- 
ing to  her.  Not  a  day  passed  that  she  did  not  come 
to  my  garden  and  cull  my  rarest  flowers — and  I  would 
not,  look  you,  give  one  of  my  flowers  to  the  Pope  him- 
self. She  had  instituted  me  her  florist  in  ordinary. 
For  her  sake  I  collected  my  briars  of  the  Cape " 

He  was  talking  on  so  wide  of  his  subject  that  M. 
Lecoq  could  not  repress  a  roguish  smile.  The  old  man 
was  about  to  proceed  when  he  heard  a  noise  in  the 
hall,  and  looking  up  he  observed  Robelot  for  the  first 
time.  His  face  at  once  betrayed  his  great  annoy- 
ance. 

"  You  were  there,  were  you  ?  "  he  said. 

The  bone-setter  smiled  obsequiously. 

"  Yes,  Monsieur,  quite  at  your  service." 

"  You  have  been  listening,  eh  ?  " 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,  I  was  waiting  to  see  if  Madame 
Courtois  had  any  commands  for  me." 

A  sudden  reflection  occurred  to  M.  Plantat ;  the  ex- 
pression of  his  eye  changed.  He  winked  at  M.  Lecoq 
to  call  his  attention,  and  addressing  the  bone-setter  in 
a  milder  tone,  said :  "  Come  here,  Master  Robelot." 

M.  Lecoq  had  read  the  man  at  a  glance.     Robelot 


106        THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

was  a  small,  insignificant-looking  man,  but  really  of 
herculean  strength.  His  hair,  cut  short  behind,  fell 
over  his  large,  intelligent  forehead.  His  eyes  shone 
with  the  fire  of  covetousness,  and  expressed,  when  he 
forgot  to  guard  them,  a  cynical  boldness.  A  sly  smile 
was  always  playing  about  his  thin  lips,  beneath  which 
there  was  no  beard.  A  little  way  off,  with  his  slight 
figure  and  his  beardless  face,  he  looked  like  a  Paris 
gamin — one  of  those  little  wretches  who  are  the  es- 
sence of  all  corruption,  whose  imagination  is  more 
soiled  than  the  gutters  where  they  search  for  lost  pen- 
nies. 

Robelot  advanced  several  steps,  smiling  and  bowing. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  he,  "  Monsieur  has,  by  chance,  need 
of  me?" 

"  None  whatever,  Master  Robelot,  I  only  wish  to 
congratulate  you  on  happening  in  so  apropos,  to  bleed 
Monsieur  Courtois.  Your  lancet  has,  doubtless,  saved 
his  life." 

"  It's  quite  possible." 

"  Monsieur  Courtois  is  generous — he  will  amply 
recompense  this  great  service." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  ask  him  nothing.  Thank  God,  I  want 
nobody's  help.  If  I  am  paid  my  due,  I  am  content." 

"  I  know  that  well  enough ;  you  are  prosperous — 
you  ought  to  be  satisfied." 

M.  Plantat's  tone  was  friendly,  almost  paternal.  He 
was  deeply  interested,  evidently,  in  Robelot's  pros- 
perity. 

"  Satisfied !  "  resumed  the  bone-setter.  "  Not  so 
much  as  you  might  think.  Life  is  very  dear  for  poor 
people." 

"  But,  haven't  you  just  purchased  an  estate  near 
d'Evry?" 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        107 

"  Yes." 

"  And  a  nice  place,  too,  though  a  trifle  damp.  Hap- 
pily you  have  stone  to  fill  it  in  with,  on  the  land  that 
you  bought  of  the  widow  Frapesle." 

Robelot  had  never  seen  the  old  justice  of  the  peace 
so  talkative,  so  familiar ;  he  seemed  a  little  surprised. 

"  Three  wretched  pieces  of  land !  "  said  he. 

"  Not  so  bad  as  you  talk  about.  Then  you've  also 
bought  something  in  the  way  of  mines,  at  auction, 
haven't  you  ?  " 

"  Just  a  bunch  of  nothing  at  all." 

"  True,  but  it  pays  well.  It  isn't  so  bad,  you  see,  to 
be  a  doctor  without  a  diploma." 

Robelot  had  been  several  times  prosecuted  for  il- 
legal practicing;  so  he  thought  he  ought  to  protest 
against  this. 

"  If  I  cure  people,"  said  he,  "  I'm  not  paid  for  it." 

"  Then  your  trade  in  herbs  isn't  what  has  enriched 
you." 

The  conversation  was  becoming  a  cross-examina- 
tion. The  bone-setter  was  beginning  to  be  restless. 

"  Oh,  I  make  something  out  of  the  herbs,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"  And  as  you  are  thrifty,  you  buy  land." 

"  I've  also  got  some  cattle  and  horses,  which  bring 
in  something.  I  raise  horses,  cows,  and  sheep." 

"  Also  without  diploma  ?  " 

Robelot  waxed  disdainful. 

"  A  piece  of  parchment  does  not  make  science.  I 
don't  fear  the  men  of  the  schools.  I  study  animals  in 
the  fields  and  the  stable,  without  bragging.  I  haven't 
my  equal  for  raising  them,  nor  for  knowing  their  dis- 
eases." 

M.  Plantat's  tone  became  more  and  more  winning. 


io8        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  I  know  that  you  are  a  bright  fellow,  full  of  experi- 
ence. Doctor  Gendron,  with  whom  you  served,  was 
praising  your  cleverness  a  moment  ago." 

The  bone-setter  shuddered,  not  so  imperceptibly  as 
to  escape  Plantat,  who  continued :  "  Yes,  the  good  doc- 
tor said  he  never  had  so  intelligent  an  assistant.  '  Rob- 
elot,'  said  he,  '  has  such  an  aptitude  for  chemistry,  and 
so  much  taste  for  it  besides,  that  he  understands  as  well 
as  I  many  of  the  most  delicate  operations.'  " 

"  Parbleu !  I  did  my  best,  for  I  was  well  paid,  and  I 
was  always  fond  of  learning." 

"  And  you  were  an  apt  scholar  at  Doctor  Gendron's, 
Master  Robelot ;  he  makes  some  very  curious  studies. 
His  work  and  experience  on  poisons  are  above  all  re- 
markable." 

Robelot 's  uneasiness  became  apparent;  his  look 
wavered. 

"  Yes)"  returned  he,  "  I  have  seen  some  strange  ex- 
periments." 

"  Well,  you  see,  you  may  think  yourself  lucky — for 
the  doctor  is  going  to  have  a  splendid  chance  to  study 
this  sort  of  thing,  and  he  will  undoubtedly  want  you  to 
assist  him." 

But  Robelot  was  too  shrewd  not  to  have  already 
guessed  that  this  cross-examination  had  a  purpose. 
What  was  M.  Plantat  after?  he  asked  himself,  not 
without  a  vague  terror.  And,  going  over  in  his  mind 
the  questions  which  had  been  asked,  and  the  answers 
he  had  given,  and  to  what  these  questions  led,  he  trem- 
bled. He  thought  to  escape  further  questioning  by 
saying : 

"  I  am  always  at  my  old  master's  orders  when  he 
needs  me." 

"  He'll  need  you,  be  assured,"  said  M.  Plantat,  who 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        109 

added,  in  a  careless  tone,  which  his  rapid  glance  at 
Robelot  belied,  "  The  interest  attaching-  to  this  case 
will  be  intense,  and  the  task  difficult.  Monsieur  Sau- 
vresy's  body  is  to  be  disinterred." 

Robelot  was  certainly  prepared  for  something 
strange,  and  he  was  armed  with  all  his  audacity.  But 
the  name  of  Sauvresy  fell  upon  his  head  like  the  stroke 
of  a  club,  and  he  stammered,  in  a  choked  voice : 

"Sauvresy!" 

M.  Plantat  had  already  turned  his  head,  and  con- 
tinued in  an  indifferent  tone : 

"  Yes,  Sauvresy  is  to  be  exhumed.  It  is  suspected 
that  his  death  was  not  wholly  a  natural  one.  You  see, 
justice  always  has  its  suspicions." 

Robelot  leaned  against  the  wall  so  as  not  to  fall. 
M.  Plantat  proceeded : 

"  So  Doctor  Gendron  has  been  applied  to.  He  has, 
as  you  know,  found  reactive  drugs  which  betray  the 
presence  of  an  alkaloid,  whatever  it  may  be,  in  the 
substances  submitted  to  him  for  analysis.  He  has 
spoken  to  me  of  a  certain  sensitive  paper " 

Appealing  to  all  his  energy,  Robelot  forced  himself 
to  stand  up  and  resume  a  calm  countenance. 

"  I  know  Doctor  Gendron's  process,"  said  he,  "  but 
I  don't  see  who  could  be  capable  of  the  suspicions  of 
which  you  speak." 

"  I  think  there  are  more  than  suspicions,"  resumed 
M.  Plantat.  "  Madame  de  Tremorel,  you  know,  has 
been  murdered:  her  papers  have,  of  course,  been  ex- 
amined ;  letters  have  been  found,  with  very  damaging 
revelations,  receipts,  and  so  on." 

Robelot,  apparently,  was  once  more  self-possessed; 
he  forced  himself  to  answer: 

"  Bast !  let  us  hope  that  justice  is  in  the  wrong." 


no        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Then,  such  was  this  man's  self-control,  despite  a 
nervous  trembling  which  shook  his  whole  body  as  the 
wind  does  the  leaves,  that  he  added,  constraining  his 
thin  lips  to  form  a  smile : 

"  Madame  Courtois  does  not  come  down ;  I  am  wait- 
ed for  at  home,  and  will  drop  in  again  to-morrow. 
Good-evening,  gentlemen." 

He  walked  away,  and  soon  the  sand  in  the  court  was 
heard  creaking  with  his  steps.  As  he  went,  he  stag- 
gered like  a  drunken  man. 

M.  Lecoq  went  up  to  M.  Plantat,  and  taking  off  his 
hat: 

"  I  surrender,"  said  he,  "  and  bow  to  you ;  you  are 
great,  like  my  master,  the  great  Tabaret." 

The  detective's  amour-propre  was  clearly  aroused; 
his  professional  zeal  was  inspired;  he  found  himself 
before  a  great  crime — one  of  those  crimes  which  triple 
the  sale  of  the  Gazette  of  the  Courts.  Doubtless  many 
of  its  details  escaped  him :  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
starting-point ;  but  he  saw  the  way  clearing  before  him. 
He  had  surprised  Plantat's  theory,  and  had  followed 
the  train  of  his  thought  step  by  step ;  thus  he  discov- 
ered the  complications  of  the  crime  which  seemed  so 
simple  to  M.  Domini.  His  subtle  mind  had  connected 
together  all  the  circumstances  which  had  been  dis- 
closed to  him  during  the  day,  and  now  he  sincerely 
admired  the  old  justice  of  the  peace.  As  he  gazed  at 
his  beloved  portrait,  he  thought,  "  Between  the  two  of 
1  us — this  old  fox  and  I — we  will  unravel  the  whole 
web."  He  would  not,  however,  show  himself  to  be 
inferior  to  his  companion. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  he,  "  while  you  were  questioning 
this  rogue,  who  will  be  very  useful  to  us,  I  did  not 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        m 

lose  any  time.  I've  been  looking  about,  under  the  fur- 
niture and  so  on,  and  have  found  this  slip  of  paper." 

"  Let's  see." 

"  It  is  the  envelope  of  the  young  lady's  letter.  Do 
you  know  where  her  aunt,  whom  she  was  visiting, 
lives?" 

"  At  Fontainebleau,  I  believe." 

"  Ah ;  well,  this  envelope  is  stamped  '  Paris,'  Saint- 
Lazare  branch  post-office.  I  know  this  stamp  proves 
nothing " 

"  It  is,  of  course,  an  indication." 

"  That  is  not  all ;  I  have  read  the  letter  itself — it  was 
here  on  the  table." 

M.  Plantat  frowned  involuntarily. 

"  It  was,  perhaps,  a  liberty,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq, 
"  but  the  end  justifies  the  means.  Well,  you  have  read 
this  letter ;  but  have  you  studied  it,  examined  the  hand- 
writing, weighed  the  words,  remarked  the  context  of 
the  sentences  ?  " 

"  Ah,"  cried  Plantat,  "  I  was  not  mistaken  then — 
you  had  the  same  idea  strike  you  that  occurred  to 
me!" 

And,  in  the  energy  of  his  excitement  he  seized  the 
detective's  hands  and  pressed  them  as  if  he  were  an  old 
friend.  They  were  about  to  resume  talking  when  a 
step  was  heard  on  the  staircase;  and  presently  Dr. 
Gendron  appeared. 

"  Courtois  is  better,"  said  he,  "  he  is  in  a  doze,  and 
will  recover." 

"  We  have  nothing  more,  then,  to  keep  us  here," 
returned  M.  Plantat.  "  Let's  be  off.  Monsieur  Le- 
coq must  be  half  dead  with  hunger." 

As  they  went  away,  M.  Lecoq  slipped  Laurence's 
letter,  with  the  envelope,  into  his  pocket. 


ii2        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 


X 

M.  Plantat's  house  was  small  and  narrow;  a  phi- 
losopher's house.  Three  large  rooms  on  the  ground- 
floor,  four  chambers  in  the  first  story,  an  attic  under 
the  roof  for  the  servants,  composed  all  its  apartments. 
Everywhere  the  carelessness  of  a  man  who  has  with- 
drawn from  the  world  into  himself,  for  years,  ceasing 
to  have  the  least  interest  in  the  objects  which  surround 
him,  was  apparent.  The  furniture  was  shabby,  though 
it  had  been  elegant ;  the  mouldings  had  come  off,  the 
clocks  had  ceased  to  keep  time,  the  chairs  showed  the 
stuffing  of  their  cushions,  the  curtains,  in  places,  were 
faded  by  the  sun.  The  library  alone  betrayed  a  daily 
care  and  attention. 

Long  rows  of  books  in  calf  and  gilt  were  ranged 
on  the  carved  oaken  shelves,  a  movable  table  near  the 
fireplace  contained  M.  Plantat's  favorite  books,  the 
discreet  friends  of  his  solitude.  A  spacious  conserva- 
tory, fitted  with  every  accessory  and  convenience,  was 
his  only  luxury.  In  it  flourished  one  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  varieties  of  briars. 

Two  servants,  the  widow  Petit,  cook  and  house- 
keeper, and  Louis,  gardener,  inhabited  the  house.  If 
they  did  not  make  it  a  noisy  one,  it  was  because  Plan- 
tat,  who  talked  little,  detested  also  to  hear  others  talk. 
Silence  was  there  a  despotic  law.  It  was  very  hard 
for  Mme.  Petit,  especially  at  first.  She  was  very  talk- 
ative, so  talkative  that  when  she  found  no  one  to 
chat  with,  she  went  to  confession ;  to  confess  was  to 
chat.  She  came  near  leaving  the  place  twenty  times ; 
but  the  thought  of  an  assured  pension  restrained  her. 
Gradually  she  became  accustomed  to  govern  her 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        113 

tongue,  and  to  this  cloistral  silence.  But  she  revenged 
herself  outside  for  the  privations  of  the  household,  and 
regained  among  the  neighbors  the  time  lost  at  home. 

She  was  very  much  wrought  up  on  the  day  of  the 
murder.  At  eleven  o'clock,  after  going  out  for  news, 
she  had  prepared  monsieur's  dinner;  but  he  did  not 
appear.  She  waited  one,  two  hours,  five  hours,  keep- 
ing her  water  boiling  for  the  eggs ;  no  monsieur.  She 
wanted  to  send  Louis  to  look  for  him,  but  Louis  being 
a  poor  talker  and  not  curious,  asked  her  to  go  herself. 
The  house  was  besieged  by  the  female  neighbors,  who, 
thinking  that  Mme.  Petit  ought  to  be  well  posted,  came 
for  news ;  no  news  to  give. 

Toward  five  o'clock,  giving  up  all  thought  of  break- 
fast, she  began  to  prepare  for  dinner.  But  when  the 
village  bell  struck  eight  o'clock,  monsieur  had  not 
made  his  appearance.  At  nine,  the  good  woman  was 
beside  herself,  and  began  to  scold  Louis,  who  had  just 
come  in  from  watering  the  garden,  and,  seated  at  the 
kitchen  table,  was  soberly  eating  a  plate  of  soup. 

The  bell  rung. 

"  Ah,  there's  monsieur,  at  last." 

No,  it  was  not  monsieur,  but  a  little  boy,  whom  M. 
Plantat  had  sent  from  Valfeuillu  to  apprise  Mme. 
Petit  that  he  would  soon  return,  bringing  with  him  two 
guests  who  would  dine  and  sleep  at  the  house.  The 
worthy  woman  nearly  fainted.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  M.  Plantat  had  invited  anyone  to  dinner  for  five 
years.  There  was  some  mystery  at  the  bottom  of  it 
— so  thought  Mme.  Petit,  and  her  anger  doubled  with 
her  curiosity. 

"  To  order  a  dinner  at  this  hour,"  she  grumbled. 
"  Has  he  got  common-sense,  then  ?  "  But  reflecting 
that  time  pressed,  she  continued: 


ii4        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Go  along,  Louis ;  this  is  not  the  moment  for  two 
feet  to  stay  in  one  shoe.  Hurry  up,  and  wring  three 
chickens'  heads ;  see  if  there  ain't  some  ripe  grapes  in 
the  conservatory;  bring  on  some  preserves;  fetch  up 
some  wine  from  the  cellar !  "  The  dinner  was  well 
advanced  when  the  bell  rung  again.  This  time  Bap- 
tiste  appeared,  in  exceeding  bad  humor,  bearing  M. 
Lecoq's  night-gown. 

"  See  here,"  said  he  to  the  cook,  "  what  the  person, 
who  is  with  your  master,  gave  me  to  bring  here." 

"What  person?" 

"  How  do  I  know  ?  He's  a  spy  sent  down  from 
Paris  about  this  Valfeuillu  affair;  not  much  good, 
probably — ill-bred — a  brute — and  a  wretch." 

"  But  he's  not  alone  with  monsieur?  " 

"  No ;  Doctor  Gendron  is  with  them." 

Mme.  Petit  burned  to  get  some  news  out  of  Bap- 
tiste ;  but  Baptiste  also  burned  to  get  back  and  know 
what  was  taking  place  at  his  master's — so  off  he  went, 
without  having  left  any  news  behind. 

An  hour  or  more  passed,  and  Mme.  Petit  had  just 
angrily  declared  to  Louis  that  she  was  going  to  throw 
the  dinner  out  the  window,  when  her  master  at  last  ap- 
peared, followed  by  his  guests.  They  had  not  ex- 
changed a  word  after  they  left  the  mayor's.  Aside 
from  the  fatigues  of  the  evening,  they  wished  to  re- 
flect, and  to  resume  their  self-command.  Mme.  Petit 
found  it  useless  to  question  their  faces — they  told  her 
nothing.  But  she  did  not  agree  with  Baptiste  about 
M.  Lecoq :  she  thought  him  good-humored,  and  rather 
silly.  Though  the  party  was  less  silent  at  the  dinner- 
table,  all  avoided,  as  if  by  tacit  consent,  any  allusion 
to  the  events  of  the  day.  No  one  would  ever  have 
thought  that  they  had  just  been  witnesses  of,  almost 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        115 

actors  in,  the  Valfeuillu  drama,  they  were  so  calm,  and 
talked  so  glibly  of  indifferent  things.  From  time  to 
time,  indeed,  a  question  remained  unanswered,  or  a  re- 
ply came  tardily;  but  nothing  of  the  sensations  and 
thoughts,  which  were  concealed  beneath  the  uttered 
commonplaces,  appeared  on  the  surface. 

Louis  passed  to  and  fro  behind  the  diners,  his  white 
cloth  on  his  arm,  carving  and  passing  the  wine. 
Mme.  Petit  brought  in  the  dishes,  and  came  in  thrice 
as  often  as  was  necessary,  her  ears  wide  open,  leaving 
the  door  ajar  as  often  as  she  dared.  Poor  woman ! 
she  had  prepared  an  excellent  dinner,  and  nobody  paid 
any  attention  to  it. 

M.  Lecoq  was  fond  of  tit-bits;  yet,  when  Louis 
placed  on  the  table  a  dish  of  superb  grapes — quite  out 
of  season — his  mouth  did  not  so  much  as  expand  into 
a  smile.  Dr.  Gendron  would  have  been  puzzled  to 
say  what  he  had  eaten.  The  dinner  was  nearly  over, 
when  M.  Plantat  began  to  be  annoyed  by  the  con- 
straint which  the  presence  of  the  servants  put  upon  the 
party.  He  called  to  the  cook : 

"  You  will  give  us  our  coffee  in  the  library,  and  may 
then  retire,  as  well  as  Louis." 

"  But  these  gentlemen  do  not  know  their  rooms," 
insisted  Mme.  Petit,  whose  eavesdropping  projects 
were  checked  by  this  order.  "  They  will,  perhaps, 
need  something." 

"  I  will  show  them  their  rooms,"  said  M.  Plantat, 
dryly.  "  And  if  they  need  anything,  I  shall  be  here." 

They  went  into  the  library.  M.  Plantat  brought  out 
a  box  of  cigars  and  passed  them  round : 

"  It  will  be  healthful  to  smoke  a  little  before  retir- 
ing." 

M.  Lecoq  lit  an  aromatic  weed,  and  remarked : 


n6        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  You  two  may  go  to  bed  if  you  like ;  I  am  con- 
demned, I  see,  to  a  sleepless  night.  But  before  I  go 
to  writing,  I  wish  to  ask  you  a  few  things,  Monsieur 
Plantat." 

M.  Plantat  bowed  in  token  of  assent. 

"  We  must  resume  our  conversation,"  continued  the 
detective,  "  and  compare  our  inferences.  All  our 
lights  are  not  too  much  to  throw  a  little  daylight  upon 
this  affair,  which  is  one  of  the  darkest  I  have  ever  met 
with.  The  situation  is  dangerous,  and  time  presses. 
On  our  acuteness  depends  the  fate  of  several  innocent 
persons,  upon  whom  rest  very  serious  charges.  We 
have  a  theory :  but  Monsieur  Domini  also  has  one,  and 
his,  let  us  confess,  is  based  upon  material  facts,  while 
ours  rests  upon  very  disputable  sensations  and  logic." 

"  We  have  more  than  sensations,"  responded  M. 
Plantat. 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  the  doctor,  "  but  we  must 
prove  it."  , 

"  And  I  will  prove  it,  parbleu,"  cried  M.  Lecoq, 
eagerly.  "  The  affair  is  complicated  and  difficult — so 
much  the  better.  Eh !  If  it  were  simple,  I  would  go 
back  to  Paris  instanter,  and  to-morrow  I  would  send 
you  one  of  my  men.  I  leave  easy  riddles  to  infants. 
What  I  want  is  the  inexplicable  enigmas,  so  as  to  un- 
ravel it ;  a  struggle,  to  show  my  strength ;  obstacles,  to 
conquer  them." 

M.  Plantat  and  the  doctor  looked  steadily  at  the 
speaker.  He  was  as  if  transfigured.  It  was  the  same 
yellow-haired  and  whiskered  man,  in  a  long  overcoat : 
yet  the  voice,  the  physiognomy,  the  very  features,  had 
changed.  His  eyes  shone  with  the  fire  of  his  enthusi- 
asm, his  voice  was  metallic  and  vibrating,  his  imperi- 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        117 

ous  gesture  affirmed  the  audacity  and  energy  of  his 
resolution. 

"  If  you  think,  my  friends,"  pursued  he,  "  that  they 
don't  manufacture  detectives  like  me  at  so  much  a  year, 
you  are  right.  When  I  was  twenty  years  old,  I  took 
service  with  an  astronomer,  as  his  calculator,  after  a 
long  course  of  study.  He  gave  me  my  breakfasts  and 
seventy  francs  a  month ;  by  means  of  which  I  dressed 
well,  and  covered  I  know  not  how  many  square  feet 
with  figures  daily." 

M.  Lecoq  puffed  vigorously  at  his  cigar  a  moment, 
casting  a  curious  glance  at  M.  Plantat.  Then  he  re- 
sumed: 

"  Well,  you  may  imagine  that  I  wasn't  the  happiest 
of  men.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  I  had  two  little  vices : 
I  loved  the  women,  and  I  loved  play.  All  are  not  per- 
fect. My  salary  seemed  too  small,  and  while  I  added 
up  my  columns  of  figures,  I  was  looking  about  for  a 
way  to  make  a  rapid  fortune.  There  is,  indeed,  but 
one  means ;  to  appropriate  somebody  else's  money, 
shrewdly  enough  not  to  be  found  out.  I  thought  about 
it  day  and  night.  My  mind  was  fertile  in  expedients, 
and  I  formed  a  hundred  projects,  each  more  practica- 
ble than  the  others.  I  should  frighten  you  if  I  were  to 
tell  you  half  of  what  I  imagined  in  those  days.  If  many 
thieves  of  my  calibre  existed,  you'd  have  to  blot  the 
word  '  property '  out  of  the  dictionary.  Precautions, 
as  well  as  safes,  would  be  useless.  Happily  for  men 
of  property,  criminals  are  idiots." 

"  What  is  he  coming  to?  "  thought  the  doctor. 

"  One  day,  I  became  afraid  of  my  own  thoughts.  I 
had  just  been  inventing  a  little  arrangement  by  which 
a  man  could  rob  any  banker  whatever  of  200,000  francs 
without  any  more  danger  or  difficulty  than  I  raise  this 


n8        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

cup.  So  I  said  to  myself,  '  Well,  my  boy,  if  this  goes 
on  a  little  longer,  a  moment  will  come  when,  from  the 
idea,  you  will  naturally  proceed  to  the  practice.'  Hav- 
ing, however,  been  born  an  honest  lad — a  mere  chance 
— and  being  determined  to  use  the  talents  which  nat- 
ure had  given  me,  eight  days  afterward  I  bid  my  as- 
tronomer good-morning,  and  went  to  the  prefecture. 
My  fear  of  being  a  burglar  drove  me  into  the  police.' 

"  And  you  are  satisfied  with  the  exchange  ?  "  asked 
Dr.  Gendron. 

"  I'  faith,  Doctor,  my  first  regret  is  yet  to  come.  I 
am  happy,  because  I  am  free  to  exercise  my  peculiar 
faculties  with  usefulness  to  my  race.  Existence  has  an 
enormous  attraction  for  me,  because  I  have  still  a  pas- 
sion which  overrides  all  others — curiosity." 

The  detective  smiled,  and  continued: 

"  There  are  people  who  have  a  mania  for  the  thea- 
tre. It  is  like  my  own  mania.  Only,  I  can't  under- 
stand how  people  can  take  pleasure  in  the  wretched 
display  of  fictions,  which  are  to  real  life  what  a  tallow 
dip  is  to  the  sun.  It  seems  to  me  monstrous  that  peo- 
ple can  be  interested  in  sentiments  which,  though  well 
represented,  are  fictitious.  What !  can  you  laugh  at  the 
witticisms  of  a  comedian,  whom  you  know  to  be  the 
struggling  father  of  a  family?  Can  you  pity  the  sad 
fate  of  the  poor  actress  who  poisons  herself,  when  you 
know  that  on  going  out  you  will  meet  her  on  the  boule- 
vards ?  It's  pitiable !  " 

"  Let's  shut  up  the  theatres,"  suggested  Dr.  Gen- 
dron. 

"  I  am  more  difficult  to  please  than  the  public,"  re- 
turned M.  Lecoq.  "  I  must  have  veritable  comedies, 
or  real  dramas.  My  theatre  is — society.  My  actors 
laugh  honestly,  or  weep  with  genuine  tears.  A  crime 


THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        119 

is  committed — that  is  the  prologue ;  I  reach  the  scene, 
the  first  act  begins.  I  seize  at  a  glance  the  minutest 
shades  of  the  scenery.  Then  I  try  to  penetrate  the 
motives,  I  group  the  characters,  I  link  the  episodes  to 
the  central  fact,  I  bind  in  a  bundle  all  the  circum- 
stances. The  action  soon  reaches  the  crisis,  the  thread 
of  my  inductions  conducts  me  to  the  guilty  person ;  I 
divine  him,  arrest  him,  deliver  him  up.  Then  comes 
the  great  scene;  the  accused  struggles,  tries  tricks, 
splits  straws ;  but  the  judge,  armed  with  the  arms  I 
have  forged  for  him,  overwhelms  the  wretch ;  he  does 
not  confess,  but  he  is  confounded.  And  how  many 
secondary  personages,  accomplices,  friends,  enemies, 
witnesses  are  grouped  about  the  principal  criminal! 
Some  are  terrible,  frightful,  gloomy — others  grotesque. 
And  you  know  not  what  the  ludicrous  in  the  horrible 
is.  My  last  scene  is  the  court  of  assize.  The  prose- 
cutor speaks,  but  it  is  I  who  furnished  his  ideas ;  his 
phrases  are  embroideries  set  around  the  canvass  of  my 
report.  The  president  submits  his  questions  to  the 
jury ;  what  emotion  !  The  fate  of  my  drama  is  being 
decided.  The  jury,  perhaps,  answers,  '  Not  guilty ; ' 
very  well,  my  piece  was  bad,  I  am  hissed.  If '  Guilty/ 
on  the  contrary,  the  piece  was  good,  I  am  applauded, 
and  victorious.  The  next  day  I  can  go  and  see  my 
hero,  and  slapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  say  to  him, 
'  You  have  lost,  old  fellow,  I  am  too  much  for  you !  * ' 
Was  M.  Lecoq  in  earnest  now,  or  was  he  playing 
a  part?  What  was  the  object  of  this  autobiography? 
Without  appearing  to  notice  the  surprise  of  his  com- 
panions, he  lit  a  fresh  cigar ;  then,  whether  designedly 
or  not,  instead  of  replacing  the  lamp  with  which  he  lit 
it  on  the  table,  he  put  it  on  one  corner  of  the  mantel. 


120        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Thus  M.  Plantat's  face  was  in  full  view,  while  that  of 
M.  Lecoq  remained  in  shadow. 

"  I  ought  to  confess,"  he  continued,  "  without  false 
modesty,  that  I  have  rarely  been  hissed.  Like  every 
man  I  have  my  Achilles  heel.  I  have  conquered  the 
demon  of  play,  but  I  have  not  triumphed  over  my  pas- 
sion for  woman." 

He  sighed  heavily,  with  the  resigned  gesture  of  a 
man  who  has  chosen  his  path.  "  It's  this  way.  There 
is  a  woman,  before  whom  I  am  but  an  idiot.  Yes,  I 
the  detective,  the  terror  of  thieves  and  murderers,  who 
have  divulged  the  combinations  of  all  the  sharpers  of 
all  the  nations,  who  for  ten  years  have  swum  amid  vice 
and  crime ;  who  wash  the  dirty  linen  of  all  the  corrup- 
tions, who  have  measured  the  depths  of  human  in- 
famy ;  I  who  know  all,  who  have  seen  and  heard  all  ; 
I,  Lecoq,  am  before  her,  more  simple  and  credulous 
than  an  infant.  She  deceives  me — I  see  it — and  she 
proves  that  I  have  seen  wrongly.  She  lies — I  know 
it,  I  prove  it  to  her — and  I  believe  her.  It  is  because 
this  is  one  of  those  passions,"  he  added,  in  a  low, 
mournful  tone,  "  that  age,  far  from  extinguishing,  only 
fans,  and  to  which  the  consciousness  of  shame  and 
powerlessness  adds  fire.  One  loves,  and  the  certainty 
that  he  cannot  be  loved  in  return  is  one  of  those  griefs 
which  you  must  have  felt  to  know  its  depth.  In  a  mo- 
ment of  reason,  one  sees  and  judges  himself ;  he  says, 
no,  it's  impossible,  she  is  almost  a  child,  I  almost  an 
old  man.  He  says  this — but  always,  in  the  heart,  more 
potent  than  reason,  than  will,  than  experience,  a  ray 
of  hope  remains,  and  he  says  to  himself,  '  who  knows 
— perhaps ! '  He  awaits,  what — a  miracle  ?  There 
are  none,  nowadays.  No  matter,  he  hopes  on." 

M.  Lecoq  stopped,  as  if  his  emotion  prevented  his 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        121 

going  on.  M.  Plantat  had  continued  to  smoke  me- 
chanically, puffing  the  smoke  out  at  regular  intervals ; 
but  his  face  seemed  troubled,  his  glance  was  unsteady, 
his  hands  trembled.  He  got  up,  took  the  lamp  from 
the  mantel  and  replaced  it  on  the  table,  and  sat  down 
again.  The  significance  of  this  scene  at  last  struck 
Dr.  Gendron. 

In  short,  M.  Lecoq,  without  departing  widely  from 
the  truth,  had  just  attempted  one  of  the  most  daring 
experiments  of  his  repertoire,  and  he  judged  it  useless 
to  go  further.  He  knew  now  what  he  wished  to  know. 
After  a  moment's  silence,  he  shuddered  as  though 
awaking  from  a  dream,  and  pulling  out  his  watch, 
said: 

"  Par  le  Dieu  !     How  I  chat  on,  while  time  flies !  " 

"  And  Guespin  is  in  prison,"  remarked  the  doctor. 

"  We  will  have  him  out,"  answered  the  detective, 
"  if,  indeed,  he  is  innocent ;  for  this  time  I  have  mas- 
tered the  mystery,  my  romance,  if  you  wish,  and  with- 
out any  gap.  There  is,  however,  one  fact  of  the  ut- 
most importance,  that  I  by  myself  cannot  explain." 

"What?  "asked  M.  Plantat. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  Monsieur  de  Tremorel  had  a  very 
great  interest  in  finding  something — a  deed,  a  letter,  a 
paper  of  some  sort — something  of  a  small  size,  secreted 
in  his  own  house?  " 

"  Yes — that  is  possible,"  returned  the  justice  of  the 
peace. 

"  But  I  must  know  for  certain." 

M.  Plantat  reflected  a  moment. 

"  Well  then,"  he  went  on,  "  I  am  sure,  perfectly  sure, 
that  if  Madame  de  Tremorel  had  died  suddenly,  the 
count  would  have  ransacked  the  house  to  find  a  certain 


122        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

paper,  which  he  knew  to  be  in  his  wife's  possession, 
and  which  I  myself  have  had  in  my  hands." 

"  Then,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  "  there's  the  drama  com- 
plete. On  reaching  Valfeuillu,  I,  like  you,  was  struck 
with  the  frightful  disorder  of  the  rooms.  Like  you,  I 
thought  at  first  that  this  disorder  was  the  result  of  de- 
sign. I  was  wrong;  a  more  careful  scrutiny  has  con- 
vinced me  of  it.  The  assassin,  it  is  true,  threw  every- 
thing into  disorder,  broke  the  furniture,  hacked  the 
chairs  in  order  to  make  us  think  that  some  furious  vil- 
lains had  been  there.  But  amid  these  acts  of  premed- 
itated violence  I  have  followed  up  the  involuntary 
traces  of  an  exact,  minute,  and  I  may  say  patient  search. 
Everything  seemed  turned  topsy-turvy  by  chance ;  ar- 
ticles were  broken  open  with  the  hatchet,  which  might 
have  been  opened  with  the  hands;  drawers  had  been 
forced  which  were  not  shut,  and  the  keys  of  which  were 
in  the  locks.  Was  this  folly?  No.  For  really  no 
corner  or  crevice  where  a  letter  might  be  hid  has  been 
neglected.  The  table  and  bureau-drawers  had  been 
thrown  here  and  there,  but  the  narrow  spaces  between 
the  drawers  had  been  examined — I  saw  proofs  of  it, 
for  I  found  the  imprints  of  fingers  on  the  dust  which 
lay  in  these  spaces.  The  books  had  been  thrown  pell- 
mell  upon  the  floor,  but  every  one  of  them  had  been 
handled,  and  some  of  them  with  such  violence  that 
the  bindings  were  torn  off.  We  found  the  mantel- 
shelves in  their  places,  but  every  one  had  been  lifted 
up.  The  chairs  were  not  hacked  with  a  sword,  for 
the  mere  purpose  of  ripping  the  cloth — the  seats  were 
thus  examined.  My  conviction  of  the  certainty  that 
there  had  been  a  most  desperate  search,  at  first  roused 
my  suspicions.  I  said  to  myself,  '  The  villains  have 


been  looking  for  the  money  which  was  concealed; 
therefore  they  did  not  belong  to  the  household.' '' 

"  But,"  observed  the  doctor,  "  they  might  belong  to 
the  house,  and  yet  not  know  the  money  was  hidden; 
for  Guespin " 

"  Permit  me,"  interrupted  M.  Lecoq,  "  I  will  explain 
myself.     On  the  other  hand,  I  found  indications  that 
the  assassin  must  have  been  closely  connected  with  | 
Madame   de   Tremorel — her  lover,  or  her  husband. 
These  were  the  ideas  that  then  struck  me." 

"And  now?" 

"  Now,"  responded  the  detective, "  with  the  certainty 
that  something  besides  booty  might  have  been  the 
object  of  the  search,  I  am  not  far  from  thinking  that 
the  guilty  man  is  he  whose  body  is  being  searched  for 
— the  Count  Hector  de  Tremorel." 

M.  Plantat  and  Dr.  Gendron  had  divined  the  name ; 
but  neither  had  as  yet  dared  to  utter  his  suspicions. 
They,  awaited  this  name  of  Tremorel ;  and  yet,  pro- 
nounced as  it  was  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  in  this 
great  sombre  room,  by  this  at  least  strange  personage, 
it  made  them  shudder  with  an  indescribable  fright. 

"  Observe,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq,  "  what  I  say ;  I  be- 
lieve it  to  be  so.  In  my  eyes,  the  count's  guilt  is  only 
as  yet  extremely  probable.  Let  us  see  if  we  three  can 
reach  the  certainty  of  it.  You  see,  gentlemen,  the  in- 
quest of  a  crime  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  solu- 
tion of  a  problem.  Given  the  crime,  proved,  patent, 
you  comme'nce  by  seeking  out  all  the  circumstances, 
whether  serious  or  superficial ;  the  details  and  the  par- 
ticulars. When  these  have  been  carefully  gathered, 
you  classify  them,  and  put  them  in  their  order  and 
date.  You  thus  know  the  victim,  the  crime,  and  the 
circumstances ;  it  remains  to  find  the  third  term  of  the 
problem,  that  is,  x,.  the.  unknown  quantity — the  guilty 


i24        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

party.  The  task  is  a  difficult  one,  but  not  so  difficult 
as  is  imagined.  The  object  is  to  find  a  man  whose 
guilt  explains  all  the  circumstances,  all  the  details 
found — all,  understand  me.  Find  such  a  man,  and  it 
is  probable — and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  the  prob- 
ability becomes  a  reality — that  you  hold  the  perpe- 
trator of  the  crime." 

So  clear  had  been  M.  Lecoq's  exposition,  so  logical 
his  argument,  that  his  hearers  could  not  repress  an  ad- 
miring exclamation : 

"  Very  good !     Very  good !  " 

"  Let  us  then  examine  together  if  the  assumed  guilt 
of  the  Count  de  Tremorel  explains  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  crime  at  Valfeuillu." 

He  was  about  to  continue  when  Dr.  Gendron,  who 
sat  near  the  window,  rose  abruptly. 

"  There  is  someone  in  the  garden,"  said  he. 

All  approached  the  window.  The  weather  was  glo- 
rious, the  night  very  clear,  and  a  large  open  space  lay 
before  the  library  window;. they  looked  out,  but  saw 
no  one. 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Doctor,"  said  Plantat,  resuming 
his  arm-chair. 

M.  Lecoq  continued: 

"  Now  let  us  suppose  that,  under  the  influence  of  cer- 
tain events  that  we  will  examine  presently,  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel  had  made  up  his  mind  to  get  rid  of  his  wife. 
The  crime  once  resolved  upon,  it  was  clear  that  the 
count  must  have  reflected,  and  sought  out  the  means 
of  committing  it  with  impunity ;  he  must  have  weighed 
the  circumstances,  and  estimated  the  perils  of  his  act. 
Let  us  admit,  also,  that  the  events  which  led  him  to 
this  extremity  were  such  that  he  feared  to  be  dis- 
turbed, and  that  he  also  feared  that  a  search  would  be 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        125 

made  for  certain  things,  even  should  his  wife  die  a  nat- 
ural death." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  M.  Plantat,  nodding  his  head. 

"  Monsieur  de  Tremorel,  then,  determined  to  kill  his 
wife,  brutally,  with  a  knife,  with  the  idea  of  so  arrang- 
ing everything,  as  to  make  it  believed  that  he  too  had 
been  assassinated ;  and  he  also  decided  to  endeavor  to 
thrust  suspicion  on  an  innocent  person,  or  at  least,  an 
accomplice  infinitely  less  guilty  than  he. 

"  He  made  up  his  mind  in  advance,  in  adopting  this 
course,  to  disappear,  fly,  conceal  himself,  change  his 
personality;  to  suppress,  in  short,  Count  Hector  de 
Tremorel,  and  make  for  himself,  under  another  name, 
a  new  position  and  identity.  These  hypotheses,  easily 
admitted,  suffice  to  explain  the  whole  series  of  other- 
wise inconsistent  circumstances.  They  explain  to  us 
in  the  first  place,  how  it  was  that  on  the  very  night  of 
the  murder,  there  was  a  large  fortune  in  ready  money 
at  Valfeuillu ;  and  this  seems  to  me  decisive.  Why, 
when  a  man  receives  sums  like  this,  which  he  pro- 
poses to  keep  by  him,  he  conceals  the  fact  as  carefully 
as  possible.  Monsieur  de  Tremorel  had  not  this  com- 
mon prudence.  He  shows  his  bundles  of  bank-notes 
freely,  handles  them,  parades  them;  the  servants  see 
them,  almost  touch  them.  He  wants  everybody  to 
know  and  repeat  that  there  is  a  large  sum  in  the  house, 
easy  to  take,  carry  off,  and  conceal.  And  what  time 
of  all  times,  does  he  choose  for  this  display?  Exactly 
the  moment  when  he  knows,  and  everyone  in  the  neigh- 
borhood knows,  that  he  is  going  to  pass  the  night  at 
the  chateau,  alone  with  Madame  de  Tremorel. 

"  For  he  is  aware  that  all  his  servants  are  invited,  on 
the  evening  of  July  8th  to  the  wedding  of  the  former 
cook.  So  well  aware  of  it  is  he,  that  he  defrays  the 


126        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

wedding  expenses,  and  himself  names  the  day.  You 
will  perhaps  say  that  it  was  by  chance  that  this  money 
was  sent  to  Valfeuillu  on  the  very  night  of.  the  crime. 
At  the  worst  that  might  be  admitted.  But  believe  me, 
there  was  no  chance  about  it,  and  I  will  prove  it.  We 
will  go  to-morrow  to  the  count's  banker,  and  will  in- 
quire whether  the  count  did  not  ask  him,  by  letter  or 
verbally,  to  send  him  these  funds  precisely  on  July  8th. 
Well,  if  he  says  yes,  if  he  shows  us  such  a  letter,  or  if 
he  declares  that  the  money  was  called  for  in  person, 
you  will  confess,  no  doubt,  that  I  have  more  than  a 
probability  in  favor  of  my  theory." 

Both  his  hearers  bowed  in  token  of  assent. 

"  So  far,  then,  there  is  no  objection." 

"  Not  the  least,"  said  M.  Plantat. 

"  My  conjectures  have  also  the  advantage  of  shed- 
ding light  on  Guespin's  position.  Honestly,  his  ap- 
pearance is  against  him,  and  justifies  his  arrest.  Was 
he  an  accomplice  or  entirely  innocent?  We  certainly 
cannot  yet  decide.  But  it  is  a  fact  that  he  has  fallen 
into  an  admirably  well-laid  trap.  The  count,  in  select- 
ing him  for  his  victim,  took  all  care  that  every  doubt 
possible  should  weigh  upon  him.  I  would  wager  that 
Monsieur  de  Tremorel,  who  knew  this  fellow's  history, 
thought  that  his  antecedents  would  add  probability 
to  the  suspicions  against  him,  and  would  weigh  with 
a  terrible  weight  in  the  scales  of  justice.  Perhaps,  too, 
he  said  to  himself  that  Guespin  would  be  sure  to  prove 
his  innocence  in  the  end,  and  he  only  wished  to  gain 
time  to  elude  the  first  search.  It  is  impossible  that 
•we  can  be  deceived.  We  know  that  the  countess  died 
of  the  first  blow,  as  if  thunderstruck.  She  did  not 
struggle ;  therefore  she  could  not  have  torn  a  piece  of 
cloth  off  the  assassin's  vest.  If  you  admit  Guespin's 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        1*7 

guilt,  you  admit  that  he  was  idiot  enough  to  put  a 
piece  of  his  vest  in  his  victim's  hand ;  you  admit  that 
he  was  such  a  fool  as  to  go  and  throw  this  torn  and 
bloody  vest  into  the  Seine,  from  a  bridge,  in  a  place 
where  he  might  know  search  would  be  made — and  all 
this,  without  taking  the  common  precaution  of  attach- 
ing it  to  a  stone  to  carry  it  to  the  bottom.  That  would 
be  absurd. 

"  To  me,  then,  this  piece  of  cloth,  this  smeared  vest, 
indicate  at  once  Guespin's  innocence  and  the  count's 
guilt." 

"  But,"  objected  Dr.  Gendron,  "  if  Guespin  is  inno- 
cent, why  don't  he  talk?  Why  don't  he  prove  an 
alibi  ?  How  was  it  he  had  his  purse  full  of  money  ?  " 

"  Observe,"  resumed  the  detective,  "  that  I  don't  say 
he  is  innocent;  we  are  still  among  the  probabilities. 
Can't  you  suppose  that  the  count,  perfidious  enough  to 
set  a  trap  for  his  servant,  was  shrewd  enough  to  de- 
prive him  of  every  means  of  proving  an  alibi  ?  " 

"  But  you  yourself  deny  the  count's  shrewdness." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon ;  please  hear  me.  The  count's 
plan  was  excellent,  and  shows  a  superior  kind  of  per- 
versity ;  the  execution  alone  was  defective.  This  is  be- 
cause the  plan  was  conceived  and  perfected  in  safety, 
while  when  the  crime  had  been  committed,  the  mur- 
derer, distressed,  frightened  at  his  danger,  lost  his  cool- 
ness and  only  half  executed  his  project.  But  there  are 
other  suppositions.  It  might  be  asked  whether,  while 
Madame  de  Tremorel  was  being  murdered,  Guespin 
might  not  have  been  committing  some  other  crime 
elsewhere." 

This  conjecture  seemed  so  improbable  to  the  doc- 
tor that  he  could  not  avoid  objecting  to  it.  "  Oh !  " 
muttered  he. 


128        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Don't  forget,"  replied  Lecoq,  "  that  the  field  of 
conjectures  has  no  bounds.  Imagine  whatever  com- 
plication of  events  you  may,  I  am  ready  to  maintain 
that  such  a  complication  has  occurred  or  will  present 
itself.  Lieuben,  a  German  lunatic,  bet  that  he  would 
succeed  in  turning  up  a  pack  of  cards  in  the  order 
stated  in  the  written  agreement.  He  turned  and 
turned  ten  hours  per  day  for  twenty  years.  He  had 
repeated  the  operation  4,246,028  times,  when  he  suc- 
ceeded." 

M.  Lecoq  was  about  to  proceed  with  another  illus- 
tration, when  M.  Plantat  interrupted  him  by  a  gesture. 

"  I  admit  your  hypotheses ;  I  think  they  are  more 
than  probable — they  are  true." 

M.  Lecoq,  as  he  spoke,  paced  up  and  down  between 
the  window  and  the  book-shelves,  stopping  at  em- 
phatic words,  like  a  general  who  dictates  to  his  aids  the 
plan  of  the  morrow's  battle.  To  his  auditors,  he 
seemed  a  new  man,  with  serious  features,  an  eye  bright 
with  intelligence,  his  sentences  clear  and  concise — the 
Lecoq,  in  short,  which  the  magistrates  who  have  em- 
ployed his  talents,  would  recognize. 

"  Now,"  he  resumed,  "  hear  me.  It  is  ten  o'clock 
at  night.  No  noise  without,  the  road  deserted,  the 
village  lights  extinguished,  the  chateau  servants  away 
at  Paris.  The  count  and  countess  are  alone  at  Val- 
feuillu. 

"  They  have  gone  to  their  bedroom. 

"  The  countess  has  seated  herself  at  the  table  where 
tea  has  been  served.  The  count,  as  he  talks  with  her, 
paces  up  and  down  the  chamber. 

"  Madame  de  Tremorel  has  no  ill  presentiment;  her 
husband,  the  past  few  days,  has  been  more  amiable, 
more  attentive  than  ever.  She  mistrusts  nothing,  and 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        129 

so  the  count  can  approach  her  from  behind,  without 
her  thinking  of  turning  her  head. 

"  \Yhen  she  hears  him  coming  up  softly,  she  im- 
agines that  he  is  going  to  surprise  her  with  a  kiss.  He, 
meanwhile,  armed  with  a  long  dagger,  stands  beside 
his  wife.  He  knows  where  to  strike  that  the  wound 
may  be  mortal.  He  chooses  the  place  at  a  glance; 
takes  aim ;  strikes  a  terrible  blow — so  terrible  that  the 
handle  of  the  dagger  imprints  itself  on  both  sides  of 
the  wound.  The  countess  falls  without  a  sound,  bruis- 
ing her  forehead  on  the  edge  of  the  table,  which  is 
overturned.  Is  not  the  position  of  the  terrible  wound 
below  the  left  shoulder  thus  explained — a  wound  al- 
most vertical,  its  direction  being  from  right  to  left  ?  " 

The  doctor  made  a  motion  of  assent. 

"  And  who,  besides  a  woman's  lover  or  her  husband 
is  admitted  to  her  chamber,  or  can  approach  her  when 
she  is  seated  without  her  turning  round  ?  " 

"  That's  clear,"  muttered  M.  Plantat. 

"  The  countess  is  now  dead,"  pursued  M.  Lecoq. 
"  The  assassin's  first  emotion  is  one  of  triumph.  He 
is  at  last  rid  of  her  who  was  his  wife,  whom  he  hated 
enough  to  murder  her,  and  to  change  his  happy,  splen- 
did, envied  existence  for  a  frightful  life,  henceforth 
without  country,  friend,  or  refuge,  proscribed  by  all 
nations,  tracked  by  all  the  police,  punishable  by  the 
laws  of  all  the  world  !  His  second  thought  is  of  this 
letter  or  paper,  this  object  of  small  size  which  he  knows 
to  be  in  his  wife's  keeping,  which  he  has  demanded  a 
hundred  times,  which  she  would  not  give  up  to  him, 
and  which  he  must  have." 

"Add,"  interrupted  M.  Plantat,  "that  this  paper  was 
one  of  the  motives  of  the  crime." 

"  The  count  thinks  he  knows  \vhere  it  is.     He  im- 


1 3o        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

agines  that  he  can  put  his  hand  on  it  at  once.  He  is 
mistaken.  He  looks  into  all  the  drawers  and  bureaus 
used  by  his  wife — and  finds  nothing.  He  searches 
every  corner,  he  lifts  up  the  shelves,  overturns  every- 
thing in  the  chamber — nothing.  An  idea  strikes  him. 
Is  this  letter  under  the  mantel-shelf  ?  By  a  turn  of  the 
arm  he  lifts  it — down  the  clock  tumbles  and  stops.  It 
is  not  yet  half-past  ten." 

"  Yes,"  murmured  the  doctor,  "  the  clock  betrays 
that." 

"  The  count  finds  nothing  under  the  mantel-shelf 
except  the  dust,  which  has  retained  traces  of  his  fin- 
gers. Then  he  begins  to  be  anxious.  Where  can  this 
paper  be,  for  which  he  has  risked  his  life  ?  He  grows 
angry.  How  search  the  locked  drawers?  The  keys 
are  on  the  carpet — I  found  them  among  the  debris  of 
the  tea  service — but  he  does  not  see  them.  He  must 
have  some  implement  with  which  to  break  open  every- 
thing. He  goes  downstairs  for  a  hatchet.  The  drunk- 
enness of  blood  and  vengeance  is  dissipated  on  the 
staircase ;  his  terrors  begin.  All  the  dark  corners  are 
peopled,  now,  with  those  spectres  which  form  the  cor- 
tege of  assassins ;  he  is  frightened,  and  hurries  on.  He 
soon  goes  up  again,  armed  with  a  large  hatchet — that 
found  on  the  second  story — and  makes  the  pieces  of 
wood  fly  about  him.  He  goes  about  like  a  maniac, 
rips  up  the  furniture  at  hazard ;  but  he  pursues  a  des- 
perate search,  the  traces  of  which  I  have  followed, 
among  the  debris.  Nothing,  always  nothing !  Every- 
thing in  the  room  is  topsy-turvy ;  he  goes  into  his  cabi- 
net and  continues  the  destruction  ;  the  hatchet  rises  and 
falls  without  rest.  He  breaks  his  own  bureau,  since 
he  may  find  something  concealed  there  of  which  he  is 
ignorant.  This  bureau  belonged  to  the  first  husband 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        131 

— to  Sauvresy.  He  takes  out  all  the  books  in  the 
library,  one  by  one,  shakes  them  furiously,  and  throws 
them  about  the  floor.  The  infernal  paper  is  undiscov- 
erable.  His  distress  is  now  too  great  for  him  to  pursue 
the  search  with  the  least  method.  His  wandering  rea- 
son no  longer  guides  him.  He  staggers,  without  cal- 
culation, from  one  thing  to  another,  fumbling  a  dozen 
times  in  the  same  drawer,  while  he  completely  forgets 
others  just  by  him.  Then  he  thinks  that  this  paper 
may  have  been  hid  in  the  stuffing  of  a  chair.  He  seizes 
a  sword,  and  to  be  certain,  he  slashes  up  the  drawing- 
room  chairs  and  sofas  and  those  in  the  other  rooms." 

M.  Lecoq's  voice,  accent,  gestures,  gave  a  vivid  char- 
acter to  his  recital.  The  hearer  might  imagine  that 
he  saw  the  crime  committed,  and  was  present  at  the 
terrible  scenes  which  he  described.  His  companions 
held  their  breath,  unwilling  by  a  movement  to  distract 
his  attention. 

"  At  this  moment,"  pursued  he,  "  the  count's  rage 
and  terror  were  at  their  height.  He  had  said  to  him- 
self, when  he  planned  the  murder,  that  he  would  kill 
his  wife,  get  possession  of  the  letter,  execute  his  plan 
quickly,  and  fly.  And  now  all  his  projects  were  baf- 
fled !  How  much  time  was  being  lost,  when  each 
minute  diminished  the  chances  of  escape !  Then  the 
probability  of  a  thousand  dangers  which  had  not  oc- 
curred to  him,  entered  his  mind.  What  if  some  friend 
should  suddenly  arrive,  expecting  his  hospitality,  as 
had  occurred  twenty  times?  What  if  a  passer-by  on 
the  road  should  notice  a  light  flying  from  room  to 
room  ?  Might  not  one  of  the  servants  return  ?  When 
he  is  in  the  drawing-room,  he  thinks  he  hears  someone 
ring  at  the  gate;  such  is  his  terror,  that  he  lets  his 
candle  fall — for  I  have  found  the  marks  of  it  on  the 


i32        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

carpet.  He  hears  strange  noises,  such  as  never  before 
assailed  his  ears ;  he  thinks  he  hears  walking  in  the 
next  room;  the  floor  creaks.  Is  his  wife  really  dead; 
will  she  not  suddenly  rise  up,  run  to  the  window,  and 
scream  for  help?  Beset  by  these  terrors,  he  returns 
to  the  bedroom,  seizes  his  dagger,  and  again  strikes 
the  poor  countess.  But  his  hand  is  so  unsteady  that 
the  wounds  are  light.  You  have  observed,  doctor, 
that  all  these  wounds  take  the  same  direction.  They 
form  right  angles  with  the  body,  proving  that  the  vic- 
tim was  lying  down  when  they  were  inflicted.  Then, 
in  the  excess  of  his  frenzy,  he  strikes  the  body  with  his 
feet,  and  his  heels  form  the  contusions  discovered  by 
the  autopsy." 

M.  Lecoq  paused  to  take  breath.  He  not  only  nar- 
rated the  drama,  he  acted  it,  adding  gesture  to  word; 
and  each  of  his  phrases  made  a  scene,  explained  a  fact, 
and  dissipated  a  doubt.  Like  all  true  artists  who  wrap 
themselves  up  in  the  character  they  represent,  the  de- 
tective really  felt  something  of  the  sensations  which 
he  interpreted,  and  his  expressive  face  was  terrible  in 
its  contortions. 

"  That,"  he  resumed,  "  is  the  first  act  of  the  drama. 
An  irresistible  prostration  succeeds  the  count's  furious 
passion.  The  various  circumstances  which  I  ,am('&e- 
scribing  to  you  are  to  be  noticed  in  nearly  all  great 
crimes.  The  assassin  is  always  seized,  after  the  mur- 
der, with  a  horrible  and  singular  hatred  against  his 
victim,  and  he  often  mutilates  the  body.  Then  comes 
the  period  of  a  prostration  so  great,  of  torpor  so  irre- 
sistible, that  murderers  have  been  known  literally  to  go 
to  sleep  in  the  blood,  that  they  have  been  surprised 
sleeping,  and  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  they 
were  awakened.  The  count,  when  he  has  frightfully 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        133 

disfigured  the  poor  lady,  falls  into  an  arm-chair;  in- 
deed, the  cloth  of  one  of  the  chairs  has  retained  some 
wrinkles,  which  shows  that  someone  had  sat  in  it. 
What  are  then  the  count's  thoughts  ?  He  reflects  on 
the  long  hours  which  have  elapsed,  upon  the  few  hours 
which  remain  to  him.  He  reflects  that  he  has  found 
nothing ;  that  he  will  hardly  have  time,  before  day,  to 
execute  his  plans  for  turning  suspicion  from  him,  and 
assure  his  safety,  by  creating  an  impression  that  he, 
too,  has  been  murdered.  And  he  must  fly  at  once — 
fly,  without  that  accursed  paper.  He  summons  up  his 
energies,  rises,  and  do  you  know  what  he  does  ?  He 
seizes  a  pair  of  scissors  and  cuts  off  his  long,  carefully 
cultivated  beard." 

"Ah!"  interrupted  M.  Plantat,  "that's  why  you 
examined  the  portrait  so  closely." 

M.  Lecoq  was  too  intent  on  following  the  thread  of 
his  deductions  to  note  the  interruption. 

"  This  is  one  of  those  vulgar  details,"  pursued  he, 
"  whose  very  insignificance  makes  them  terrible,  when 
they  are  attended  by  certain  circumstances.  Now  im- 
agine the  Count  de  Tremorel,  pale,  covered  with  his 
wife's  blood,  shaving  himself  before  his  glass,  rubbing 
the  soap  over  his  face,  in  that  room  all  topsy-turvy, 
while  three  steps  off  lies  the  still  warm  and  palpitating 
body !  It  was  an  act  of  terrible  courage,  believe  me, 
to  look  at  himself  in  the  glass  after  a  murder — one  of 
which  few  criminals  are  capable.  The  count's  hands, 
however,  trembled  so  violently  that  he  could  scarcely 
hold  his  razor,  and  his  face  must  have  been  cut  several 
times." 

"  What!  "  said  Dr.  Gendron,  "  do  you  imagine  that 
the  count  spared  the  time  to  shave  ?  " 

"  I  am  positively  sure  of  it,  pos-i-tive-ly.     A  towel 


i34        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

on  which  I  have  found  one  of  those  marks  which  a 
razor  leaves  when  it  is  wiped — and  one  only — has  put 
me  on  the  track  of  this  fact.  I  looked  about,  and  found 
a  box  of  razors,  one  of  which  had  recently  been  used, 
for  it  was  still  moist;  and  I  have  carefully  preserved 
both  the  towel  and  the  box.  And  if. these  proofs  are 
not  enough,  I  will  send  to  Paris  for  two  of  my  men, 
who  will  find,  somewhere  in  the  house  or  the  garden, 
both  the  count's  beard  and  the  cloth  with  which  he 
wiped  his  razor.  As  to  the  fact  which  surprises  you, 
Doctor,  it  seems  to  me  very  natural;  more,  it  is  the 
necessary  result  of  the  plan  he  adopted.  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel  has  always  worn  his  full  beard :  he  cuts  it 
off,  and  his  appearance  is  so  entirely  altered,  that  if  he 
met  anyone  in  his  flight,  he  would  not  be  recognized." 

The  doctor  was  apparently  convinced,  for  he  cried : 

"  It's  clear— it's  evident." 

"  Once  thus  disguised,  the  count  hastens  to  carry 
out  the  rest  of  his  plan,  to  arrange  everything  to  throw 
the  law  off  the  scent,  and  to  make  it  appear  that  he, 
as  well  as  his  wife,  has  been  murdered.  He  hunts  up 
Guespin's  vest,  tears  it  out  at  the  pocket,  and  puts  a 
piece  of  it  in  the  countess's  hand.  Then  taking  the 
body  in  his  arms,  crosswise,  he  goes  downstairs.  The 
wounds  bleed  frightfully — hence  the  numerous  stains 
discovered  all  along  his  path.  Reaching  the  foot  of 
the  staircase  he  is  obliged  to  put  the  countess  down,  in 
order  to  open  the  garden-door.  This  explains  the 
large  stain  in  the  vestibule.  The  count,  having  opened 
the  door,  returns  for  the  body  and  carries  it  in  his  arms 
as  far  as  the  edge  of  the  lawn ;  there  he  stops  carrying 
it,  and  drags  it  by  the  shoulders,  walking  backward, 
trying  thus  to  create  the  impression  that  his  own  body 
has  been  dragged  across  there  and  thrown  into  the 


Seine.  But  the  wretch  forgot  two  things  which  betray 
him  to  us.  He  did  not  reflect  that  the  countess's  skirts, 
in  being  dragged  along  the  grass,  pressing  it  down  and 
breaking  it  for  a  considerable  space,  spoiled  his  trick. 
Nor  did  he  think  that  her  elegant  and  well-curved  feet, 
encased  in  small  high-heeled  boots,  would  mould  them- 
selves in  the  damp  earth  of  the  lawn,  and  thus  leave 
against  him  a  proof  clearer  than  the  day." 

M.  Plantat  rose  abruptly. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  you  said  nothing  of  this  before." 

"  Nor  of  several  other  things,  either.  But  I  was  be- 
fore ignorant  of  some  facts  which  I  now  know ;  and  as 
I  had  reason  to  suppose  that  you  were  better  informed 
than  I,  I  was  not  sorry  to  avenge  myself  for  a  caution 
which  seemed  to  me  mysterious." 

"  Well,  you  are  avenged,"  remarked  the  doctor, 
smiling. 

"  On  the  other  side  of  the  lawn,"  continued  M.  Le- 
coq,  "  the  count  again  took  up  the  countess's  body. 
But  forgetting  the  effect  of  water  when  it  spirts,  or — 
who  knows? — disliking  to  soil  himself,  instead  of 
throwing  her  violently  in  the  river,  he  put  her  down 
softly,  with  great  precaution.  That's  not  all.  He 
wished  it  to  appear  that  there  had  been  a  terrible  strug- 
gle. What  does  he  do?  Stirs  up  the  sand  with  the 
end  of  his  foot.  And  he  thinks  that  will  deceive  the 
police !  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  muttered  Plantat,  "  exactly  so — I  saw 
it." 

"  Having  got  rid  of  the  body,  the  count  returns  to 
the  house.  Time  presses,  but  he  is  still  anxious  to  find 
the  paper.  He. hastens  to  take  the  last  measures  to 
assure  his  safety.  He  smears  his  slippers  and  hand- 
kerchief with  blood.  He  throws  his  handkerchief  and 


136        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

one  of  his  slippers  on  the  sward,  and  the  other  slip- 
per into  the  river.  His  haste  explains  the  incom- 
plete execution  of  his  manoeuvres.  He  hurries — and 
commits  blunder  after  blunder.  He  does  not  reflect 
that  his  valet  will  explain  about  the  empty  bottles 
which  he  puts  on  the  table.  He  thinks  he  is  turning 
wine  into  the  five  glasses — it  is  vinegar,  which  will 
prove  that  no  one  has  drunk  out  of  them.  He  as- 
cends, puts  forward  the  hands  of  the  clock,  but  forgets 
to  put  the  hands  and  the  striking  bell  in  harmony.  He 
rumples  up  the  bed,  but  he  does  it  awkwardly — and  it 
is  impossible  to  reconcile  these  three  facts,  the  bed 
crumpled,  the  clock  showing  twenty  minutes  past 
three,  and  the  countess  dressed  as  if  it  were  mid-day. 
He  adds  as  much  as  he  can  to  the  disorder  of  the  room. 
He  smears  a  sheet  with  blood;  also  the  bed-curtains 
and  furniture.  Then  he  marks  the  door  with  the  im- 
print of  a  bloody  hand,  too  distinct  and  precise  not  to 
be  done  designedly.  Is  there  so  far  a  circumstance  or 
detail  of  the  crime,  which  does  not  explain  the  count's 
guilt?" 

"  There's  the  hatchet,"  answered  M.  Plantat,  "  found 
on  the  second  story,  the  position  of  which  seemed  so 
strange  to  you." 

"  I  am  coming  to  that.  There  is  one  point  in  this 
mysterious  affair,  which,  thanks  to  you,  is  now  clear. 
We  know  that  Madame  de  Tremorel,  known  to  her 
husband,  possessed  and  concealed  a  paper  or  a  letter, 
which  he  wanted,  and  which  she  obstinately  refused 
to  give  up  in  spite  of  all  his  entreaties.  You  have  told 
us  that  the  anxiety — perhaps  the  necessity — to  have 
this  paper,  was  a  powerful  motive  of  the  crime.  We 
will  not  be  rash  then  in  supposing  that  the  importance 
of  this  paper  was  immense — entirely  beyond  an  ordi- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        137 

nary  affair.  It  must  have  been,  somehow,  very  dam- 
aging to  one  or  the  other.  To  whom?  To  both,  or 
only  the  count?  Here  I  am  reduced  to  conjectures. 
It  is  certain  that  it  was  a  menace — capable  of  being  ex- 
ecuted at  any  moment — suspended  over  the  head  of 
him  or  them  concerned  by  it.  Madame  de  Tremorel 
surely  regarded  this  paper  either  as  a  security,  or  as 
a  terrible  arm  which  put  her  husband  at  her  mercy. 
It  was  surely  to  deliver  himself  from  this  perpetual  men- 
ace that  the  count  killed  his  wife." 

The  logic  was  so  clear,  the  last  words  brought  the 
evidence  out  so  lucidly  and  forcibly,  that  his  hearers 
were  struck  with  admiration.  They  both  cried : 

"  Very  good  !  " 

"  Now,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq,  "  from  the  various  ele- 
ments which  have  served  to  form  our  conviction,  we 
must  conclude  that  the  contents  of  this  letter,  if  it  can 
be  found,  will  clear  away  our  last  doubts,  will  explain 
the  crime,  and  will  render  the  assassin's  precautions 
wholly  useless.  The  count,  therefore,  must  do  every- 
thing in  the  world,  must  attempt  the  impossible,  not  to 
leave  this  danger  behind  him.  His  preparations  for 
flight  ended,  Hector,  in  spite  of  his  deadly  peril,  of  the 
speeding  time,  of  the  coming  day,  instead  of  flying 
recommences  with  more  desperation  than  ever  his  use- 
less search.  Again  he  goes  through  all  the  furniture, 
the  books,  the  papers — in  vain.  Then  he  determines 
to  search  the  second  story,  and  armed  with  his  hatchet, 
goes  up  to  it.  He  has  already  attacked  a  bureau,  when 
he  hears  a  cry  in  the  garden.  He  runs  to  the  window 
— what  does  he  see?  Philippe  and  old  Bertaud  are 
standing  on  the  river-bank  under  the  willows,  near  the 
corpse.  Can  you  imagine  his  immense  terror  ?  Now, 
there's  not  a  second  to  lose — he  has  already  delayed 


138        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

too  long.  The  danger  is  near,  terrible.  Daylight  has 
come,  the  crime  is  discovered,  they  are  coming,  he  sees 
himself  lost  beyond  hope.  He  must  fly,  fly  at  once, 
at  the  peril  of  being  seen,  met,  arrested.  He  throws 
the  hatchet  down  violently — it  cuts  the  floor.  He 
rushes  down,  slips  the  bank-notes  in  his  pocket,  seizes 
Guespin's  torn  and  smeared  vest,  which  he  will  throw 
into  the  river  from  the  bridge,  and  saves  himself  by  the 
garden.  Forgetting  all  caution,  confused,  beside  him- 
self, covered  with  blood,  he  runs,  clears  the  ditch,  and 
it  is  he  whom  old  Bertaud  sees  making  for  the  forest 
of  Mauprevior,  where  he  intends  to  arrange  the  dis- 
order of  his  clothes.  For  the  moment  he  is  safe.  But 
he  leaves  behind  him  this  letter,  which  is,  believe  me, 
a  formidable  witness,  which  will  enlighten  justice  and 
will  betray  his  guilt  and  the  perfidy  of  his  projects. 
For  he  has  not  found  it,  but  we  will  find  it ;  it  is  neces- 
sary for  us  to  have  it  to  defeat  Monsieur  Domini,  and 
to  change  our  doubts  into  certainty." 

XI 

A  long  silence  followed  the  detective's  discourse. 
Perhaps  his  hearers  were  casting  about  for  objections. 
At  last  Dr.  Gendron  spoke : 

"  I  don't  see  Guespin's  part  in  all  this." 
"  Nor  I,  very  clearly,"  answered  M.  Lecoq.  "  And 
here  I  ought  to  confess  to  you  not  only  the  strength, 
but  the  weakness  also,  of  the  theory  I  have  adopted. 
By  this  method,  which  consists  of  reconstructing  the 
crime  before  discovering  the  criminal,  I  can  be  neither 
right  nor  wrong  by  halves.  Either  all  my  inferences 
are  correct,  or  not  one  of  them  is.  It's  all,  or  nothing. 
If  I  am  right,  Guespin  has  not  been  mixed  up  with 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        139 

this  crime,  at  least  directly ;  for  there  isn't  a  single  cir- 
cumstance which  suggests  outside  aid.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  I  am  wrong " 

M.  Lecoq  paused.  He  seemed  to  have  heard  soms 
unexpected  noise  in  the  garden. 

"  But  I  am  not  wrong.  I  have  still  another  charge 
against  the  count,  of  which  I  haven't  spoken,  but  which 
seems  to  be  conclusive." 

"  Oh,"  cried  the  doctor,  "  what  now?  " 

"  Two  certainties  are  better  than  one,  and  I  always 
doubt.  When  I  was  left  alone  a  moment  with  Fran- 
qois,  the  valet,  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  exactly  the  num- 
ber of  the  count's  shoes ;  he  said  yes,  and  took  me  to 
a  closet  where  the  shoes  are  kept.  A  pair  of  boots, 
with  green  Russia  leather  tops,  which  Frangois  was 
sure  the  count  had  put  on  the  previous  morning,  was 
missing.  I  looked  for  them  carefully  everywhere,  but 
could  not  find  them.  Again,  the  blue  cravat  with  white 
stripes  which  the  count  wore  on  the  8th,  had  also  dis- 
appeared." 

"  There,"  cried  M.  Plantat,  "  that  is  indisputable 
proof  that  your  supposition  about  the  slippers  and 
handkerchief  was  right." 

"  I  think  that  the  facts  are  sufficiently  established  to 
enable  us  to  go  forward.  Let's  now  consider  the 
events  which  must  have  decided " 

M.  Lecoq  again  stopped,  and  seemed  to  be  listening. 
All  of  a  sudden,  without  a  word  he  jumped  on  the  win- 
dow-sill and  from  thence  into  the  garden,  with  the 
bound  of  a  cat  which  pounces  on  a  mouse.  The  noise 
of  a  fall,  a  stifled  cry,  an  oath,  were  heard,  and  then  a 
stamping  as  if  a  struggle  were  going  on.  The  doctor 
and  M.  Plantat  hastened  to  the  window.  Day  was 
breaking,  the  trees  shivered  in  the  fresh  wind  of  .the 


140        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

early  morning,  objects  were  vaguely  visible  without 
distinct  forms  across  the  white  mist  which  hangs,  on 
summer  nights,  over  the  valley  of  the  Seine.  In  the 
middle  of  the  lawn,  at  rapid  intervals,  they  heard  the 
blunt  noise  of  a  clinched  fist  striking  a  living  body, 
and  saw  two  men,  or  rather  two  phantoms,  furiously 
swinging  their  arms.  Presently  the  two  shapes  formed 
but  one,  then  they  separated,  again  to  unite;  one  of 
the  two  fell,  rose  at  once,  and  fell  again. 

"  Don't  disturb  yourselves,"  cried  M.  Lecoq's  voice. 
"  I've  got  the  rogue." 

The  shadow  of  the  detective,  which  was  upright,  bent 
over,  and  the  conflict  was  recommenced.  The  shadow 
stretched  on  the  ground  defended  itself  with  the  dan- 
gerous strength  of  despair;  his  body  formed  a  large 
brown  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  lawn,  and  his  legs, 
kicking  furiously,  convulsively  stretched  and  contract- 
ed. Then  there  was  a  moment  when  the  lookers-on 
could  not  make  out  which  was  the  detective.  They 
rose  again  and  struggled ;  suddenly  a  cry  of  pain  es- 
caped, with  a  ferocious  oath. 

"  Ah,  wretch !  " 

And  almost  immediately  a  loud  shout  rent  the  air, 
and  the  detective's  mocking  tones  were  heard : 

"  There  he  is !  I've  persuaded  him  to  pay  his  re- 
spects to  us — light  me  up  a  little." 

The  doctor  and  his  host  hastened  to  the  lamp ;  their 
zeal  caused  a  delay,  and  at  the  moment  that  the  doctor 
raised  the  lamp,  the  door  was  rudely  pushed  open. 

"  I  beg  to  present  to  you,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  "  Master 
Robelot,  bone-setter  of  Orcival,  herborist  by  prudence, 
and  poisoner  by  vocation." 

The  stupefaction  of  the  others  was  such  that  neither 
could  speak. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        141 

It  was  really  the  bone-setter,  working  his  jaws  ner- 
vously. His  adversary  had  thrown  him  down  by  the 
famous  knee-stroke  which  is  the  last  resort  of  the  worst 
prowlers  about  the  Parisian  barriers.  But  it  was  not 
so  much  Robelot's  presence  which  surprised  M.  Plan- 
tat  and  his  friend.  Their  stupor  was  caused  by  the 
detective's  appearance;  who,  with  his  wrist  of  steel — as 
rigid  as  handcuffs — held  the  doctor's  ex-assistant,  and 
pushed  him  forward.  The  voice  was  certainly  Le- 
coq's;  there  was  his  costume,  his  big-knotted  cravat, 
his  yellow-haired  watch-chain — still  it  was  no  longer 
Lecoq.  He  was  blond,  with  highly  cultivated  whisk- 
ers, when  he  jumped  out  the  window;  he  returned, 
brown,  with  a  smooth  face.  The  man  who  had  jumped 
out  was  a  middle-aged  person,  with  an  expressive  face 
which  was  in  turn  idiotic  and  intelligent ;  the  man  who 
returned  by  the  door  was  a  fine  young  fellow  of  thirty- 
five,  with  a  beaming  eye  and  a  sensitive  lip ;  a  splendid 
head  of  curly  black  hair,  brought  out  vividly  the  pallor 
of  his  complexion,  and  the  firm  outline  of  his  head 
and  face.  A  wound  appeared  on  his  neck,  just  below 
the  chin. 

"  Monsieur  Lecoq !  "  cried  M.  Plantat,  recovering 
his  voice. 

"  Himself,"  answered  the  detective,  "  and  this  time 
the  true  Lecoq."  Turning  to  Robelot,  he  slapped  him 
on  the  shoulder  and  added : 

"  Go  on,  you." 

Robelot  fell  upon  a  sofa,  but  the  detective  continued 
to  hold  him  fast. 

"  Yes,"  he  continued,  "  this  rascal  has  robbed  me  of 
my  blond  locks.  Thanks  to  him  and  in  spite  of  my- 
self, you  see  me  as  I  am,  with  the  head  the  Creator 
gave  me,  and  which  is  really  my  own."  He  gave  a 


142        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

careless  gesture,  half  angry,  half  good-humored.  "  I 
am  the  true  Lecoq;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  only  three 
persons  besides  yourselves  really  know  him — two  trust- 
ed friends,  and  one  who  is  infinitely  less  so — she  of 
whom  I  spoke  a  while  ago." 

The  eyes  of  the  other  two  met  as  if  to  question  each 
other,  and  M.  Lecoq  continued : 

"  What  can  a  fellow  do  ?  All  is  not  rose  color  in  my 
trade.  We  run  such  dangers,  in  protecting  society,  as 
should  entitle  us  to  the  esteem,  if  not  the  affection  of 
our  fellow-men.  Why,  I  am  condemned  to  death,  at 
this  moment,  by  seven  of  the  most  dangerous  criminals 
in  France.  I  have  caught  them,  you  see,  and  they 
have  sworn — they  are  men  of  their  word,  too — that  I 
should  only  die  by  their  hands.  Where  are  these 
wretches?  Four  at  Cayenne,  one  at  Brest;  I've  had 
news  of  them.  But  the  other  two?  I've  lost  their 
track.  Who  knows  whether  one  of  them  hasn't  fol- 
lowed me  here,  and  whether  to-morrow,  at  the  turning 
of  some  obscure  road,  I  shall  not  get  six  inches  of  cold 
steel  in  my  stomach  ?  " 

He  smiled  sadly. 

"  And  no  reward,"  pursued  he,  "  for  the  perils  which 
we  brave.  If  I  should  fall  to-morrow,  they  would  take 
up  my  body,  carry  it  to  my  house,  and  that  would  be 
the  end."  The  detective's  tone  had  become  bitter,  the 
irritation  of  his  voice  betrayed  his  rancor.  "  My  pre- 
cautions happily  are  taken.  While  I  am  performing 
my  duties,  I  suspect  everything,  and  when  I  am  on  my 
guard  I  fear  no  one.  But  there  are  days  when  one  is 
tired  of  being  on  his  guard,  and  would  like  to  be  able 
to  turn  a  street  corner  without  looking  for  a  dagger. 
On  such  days  I  again  become  myself;  I  take  off  my 
false  beard,  throw  down  my  mask,  and  my  real  self 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL'        143 

emerges  from  the  hundred  disguises  which  I  assume 
in  turn.  I  have  been  a  detective  fifteen  years,  and  no 
one  at  the  prefecture  knows  either  my  true  face  or  the 
color  of  my  hair." 

Master  Robelot,  ill  at  ease  on  his  lounge,  attempted 
to  move. 

"  Ah,  look  out !  "  cried  M.  Lecoq,  suddenly  chang- 
ing his  tone.  "  Now  get  up  here,  and  tell  us  what  you 
were  about  in  the  garden  ?  " 

"  But  you  are  wounded !  "  exclaimed  Plantat,  ob- 
serving stains  of  blood  on  M.  Lecoq's  shirt. 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing — only  a  scratch  that  this  fellow 
gave  me  with  a  big  cutlass  he  had." 

M.  Plantat  insisted  on  examining  the  wound,  and 
was  not  satisfied  until  the  doctor  declared  it  to  be  a 
very  slight  one. 

"  Come,  Master  Robelot,"  said  the  old  man,  "  what 
were  you  doing  here  ?  " 

The  bone-setter  did  not  reply. 

"  Take  care,"  insisted  M.  Plantat,  "  your  silence  will 
confirm  us  in  the  idea  that  you  came  with  the  worst 
designs." 

But  it  was  in  vain  that  M.  Plantat  wasted  his  per- 
suasive eloquence.  Robelot  shut  himself  up  in  a  fero- 
cious and  dogged  silence.  M.  Gendron,  hoping,  not 
without  reason,  that  he  might  have  some  influence  over 
his  former  assistant,  spoke : 

"  Answer  us  ;  what  did  you  come  for?  " 

Robelot  made  an  effort;  it  was  painful,  with  his 
broken  jaw,  to  speak. 

"  I  came  to  rob ;  I  confess  it." 

"To  rob— what?" 

"  I  don't  know." 


144        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"  But  you  didn't  scale  a  wall  and  risk  the  jail  without 
a  definite  object?  " 

"  Well,  then,  I  wanted " 

He  stopped. 

"What?     Goon." 

"  To  get  some  rare  flowers  in  the  conservatory." 

"  With  your  cutlass,  hey?  "  said  M.  Lecoq. 

Robelot  gave  him  a  terrible  look ;  the  detective  con- 
tinued : 

"  You  needn't  look  at  me  that  way — you  don't  scare 
me.  And  don't  talk  like  a  fool,  either.  If  you  think 
we  are  duller  than  you,  you  are  mistaken — I  warn  you 
of  it." 

"  I  wanted  the  flower-pots,"  stammered  the  man. 

"  Oh,  come  now,"  cried  M.  Lecoq,  shrugging  his 
shoulders,  "  don't  repeat  such  nonsense.  You,  a  man 
that  buys  large  estates  for  cash,  steal  flower-pots !  Tell 
that  to  somebody  else.  You've  been  turned  over  to- 
night, my  boy,  like  an  old  glove.  You've  let  out  in 
spite  of  yourself  a  secret  that  tormented  you  furiously, 
and  you  came  here  to  get  it  back  again.  You  thought 
that  perhaps  Monsieur  Plantat  had  not  told  it  to  any- 
body, and  you  wanted  to  prevent  him  from  speaking 
again  forever." 

Robelot  made  a  sign  of  protesting. 

"  Shut  up  now,"  said  M.  Lecoq.  "  And  your  cut- 
lass?" 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  M.  Plantat 
reflected. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  murmured,  "  I've  spoken  too  soon." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  asked  M.  Lecoq.  "  I  wanted  a  palpable 
proof  for  Monsieur  Domini ;  we'll  give  him  this  rascal, 
and  if  he  isn't  satisfied,  he's  difficult  to  please." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  with  him  ?  " 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        145 

"  Shut  him  up  somewhere  in  the  house ;  if  necessary, 
I'll  tie  him  up." 

"  Here's  a  dark  closet." 

"  Is  it  secure  ?  " 

"  There  are  thick  walls  on  three  sides  of  it,  and  the 
fourth  is  closed  with  a  double  door;  no  openings,  no 
windows,  nothing." 

"  Just  the  place." 

M.  Plantat  opened  the  closet,  a  black-looking  hole, 
damp,  narrow,  and  full  of  old  books  and  papers. 

"  There,"  said  M.  Lecoq  to  his  prisoner,  "  in  here 
you'll  be  like  a  little  king,"  and  he  pushed  him  into  the 
closet.  Robelot  did  not  resist,  but  he  asked  for  some 
water  and  a  light.  They  gave  him  a  bottle  of  water 
and  a  glass. 

"  As  for  a  light,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  "  you  may  dispense 
with  it.  You'll  be  playing  us  some  dirty  trick." 

M.  Plantat,  having  shut  the  closet-door,  took  the  de- 
tective's hand. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  he,  earnestly,  "  you  have  prob- 
ably just  saved  my  life  at  the  peril  of  your  own ;  I  will 
not  thank  you.  The  day  will  come,  I  trust,  when  I 
may " 

The  detective  interrupted  him  with  a  gesture. 

"  You  know  how  I  constantly  expose  myself,"  said 
he,  "  once  more  or  less  does  not  matter  much.  Be- 
sides, it  does  not  always  serve  a  man  to  save  his  life." 
He  was  pensive  a  moment,  then  added :  "  You  will 
thank  me  after  awhile,  when  I  have  gained  other  titles 
to  your  gratitude." 

M.  Gendron  also  cordially  shook  the  detective's 
hand,  saying : 

"  Permit  me  to  express  my  admiration  of  you.  I 
had  no  idea  what  the  resources  of  such  a  man  as  you 


i46        THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

were.  You  got  here  this  morning  without  informs 
tion,  without  details,  and  by  the  mere  scrutiny  of  the 
scene  of  the  crime,  by  the  sole  force  of  reasoning,  have 
found  the  criminal :  more,  you  have  proved  to  us  that 
the  criminal  could  be  no  other  than  he  whom  you  have 
named." 

M.  Lecoq  bowed  modestly.  These  praises  evidently 
pleased  him  greatly. 

"  Still,"  he  answered,  "  I  am  not  yet  quite  satisfied. 
The  guilt  of  the  Count  de  Tremorel  is  of  course  abun- 
dantly clear  to  me.  But  what  motives  urged  him? 
How  was  he  led  to  this  terrible  impulse  to  kill  his  wife, 
and  make  it  appear  that  he,  too,  had  been  murdered  ?  " 

"  Might  we  not  conclude,"  remarked  the  doctor, 
"  that,  disgusted  with  Madame  de  Tremorel,  he  has  got 
rid  of  her  to  rejoin  another  woman,  adored  by  him  to 
madness  ?  " 

M.  Lecoq  shook  his  head. 

"  People  don't  kill  their  wives  for  the  sole  reason  that 
they  are  tired  of  them  and  love  others.  They  quit  their 
wives,  live  with  the  new  loves — that's  all.  That  hap- 
pens every  day,  and  neither  the  law  nor  public  opinion 
condemns  such  people  with  great  severity." 

"  But  it  was  the  wife  who  had  the  fortune." 

"  That  wasn't  the  case  here.  I  have  been  posting 
myself  up.  M.  de  Tremorel  had  a  hundred  thousand 
crowns,  the  remains  of  a  colossal  fortune  saved  by  his 
friend  Sauvresy ;  and  his  wife  by  the  marriage  contract 
made  over  a  half  million  to  him.  A  man  can  live  in 
ease  anywhere  on  eight  hundred  thousand  francs.  Be- 
sides, the  count  was  master  of  all  the  funds  of  the  es- 
tate. He  could  sell,  buy,  realize,  borrow,  deposit,  and 
draw  funds  at  will." 

The  doctor  had  nothing  to  reply.     M.  Lecoq  went 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        147 

on,  speaking  with  a  certain  hesitation,  while  his  eyes 
interrogated  M.  Plantat. 

"  We  must  find  the  reasons  of  this  murder,  and  the 
motives  of  the  assassin's  terrible  resolution — in  the 
past.  Some  crime  so  indissolubly,  linked  the  count 
and  countess,  that  only  the  death  of  one  of  them  could 
free  the  other.  I  suspected  this  crime  the  first  thing 
this  morning,  and  have  seen  it  all  the  way  through ; 
and  the  man  that  we  have  just  shut  up  in  there — Robe- 
lot — who  wanted  to  murder  Monsieur  Plantat,  was 
either  the  agent  or  the  accomplice  of  this  crime." 

The  doctor  had  not  been  present  at  the  various  epi- 
sodes which,  during  the  day  at  Valfeuillu  and  in  the 
evening  at  the  mayor's,  had  established  a  tacit  under- 
standing between  Plantat  and  Lecoq.  He  needed  all 
the  shrewdness  he  possessed  to  fill  up  the  gaps  and 
understand  the  hidden  meanings  of  the  conversation  to 
which  he  had  been  listening  for  two  hours.  M.  Le- 
coq's  last  words  shed  a  ray  of  light  upon  it  all,  and  the 
doctor  cried,  "  Sauvresy !  " 

"  Yes — Sauvresy,"  answered  M.  Lecoq.  "  And  the 
paper  which  the  murderer  hunted  for  so  eagerly,  for 
which  he  neglected  his  safety  and  risked  his  life,  must 
contain  the  certain  proof  of  the  crime." 

M.  Plantat,  despite  the  most  significant  looks  and  the 
direct  provocation  to  make  an  explanation,  was  silent. 
He  seemed  a  hundred  leagues  off  in  his  thoughts,  and 
his  eyes,  wandering  in  space,  seemed  to  follow  forgot- 
ten episodes  in  the  mists  of  the  past.  M.  Lecoq,  after 
a  brief  pause,  decided  to  strike  a  bold  blow. 

"  What  a  past  that  must  have  been,"  exclaimed  he, 
"  which  could  drive  a  young,  rich,  happy  man  like 
Hector  de  Tremorel  to  plan  in  cool  blood  such  a  crime, 
to  resign  himself  to  disappear  after  it,  to  cease  to  exist, 


148        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORC5VAL 

as  it  were  to  lose  all  at  once  his  personality,  his  posi- 
tion, his  honor  and  his  name !  What  a  past  must  be 
that  which  drives  a  young  girl  of  twenty  to  suicide !  " 

M.  Plantat  started  up,  pale,  more  moved  than  he  had 
yet  appeared. 

"  Ah,"  cried  he,  in  an  altered  voice,  "  you  don't  be- 
lieve what  you  say!  Laurence  never  knew  about  it, 
never !  " 

The  doctor,  who  was  narrowly  watching  the  de- 
tective, thought  he  saw  a  faint  smile  light  up  his  mobile 
features.  The  old  justice  of  the  peace  went  on,  now 
calmly  and  with  dignity,  in  a  somewhat  haughty  tone : 

"  You  didn't  need  tricks  or  subterfuge,  Monsieur 
Lecoq,  to  induce  me  to  tell  what  I  know.  I  have 
evinced  enough  esteem  and  confidence  in  you  to  de- 
prive you  of  the  right  to  arm  yourself  against  me  with 
the  sad  secret  which  you  have  surprised." 

M.  Lecoq,  despite  his  cool-headedness,  was  discon- 
certed. 

"  Yes,"  pursued  M.  Plantat,  "  your  astonishing 
genius  for  penetrating  dramas  like  this  has  led  you  to 
the  truth.  But  you  do  not  know  all,  and  even  now  I 
would  hold  my  tongue,  had  not  the  reasons  which  com- 
pelled me  to  be  silent  ceased  to  exist." 

He  opened  a  secret  drawer  in  an  old  oaken  desk  near 
the  fireplace  and  took  out  a  large  paper  package,  which 
he  laid  on  the  table. 

"  For  four  years,"  he  resumed,  "  I  have  followed, 
day  by  day — I  might  say,  hour  by  hour — the  various 
phases  of  the  dreadful  drama  which  ended  in  blood 
last  night  at  Valfeuillu.  At  first,  the  curiosity  of  an 
old  retired  attorney  prompted  me.  Later,  I  hoped  to 
save  the  life  and  honor  of  one  very  dear  to  me.  Why 
did  I  say  nothing  of  my  discoveries  ?  That,  my  friends, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        149 

is  the  secret  of  my  conscience — it  does  not  reproach 
me.  Besides,  I  shut  my  eyes  to  the  evidence  even  up 
to  yesterday;  I  needed  the  brutal  testimony  of  this 
deed!"' 

Day  had  come.  The  frightened  blackbirds  flew 
whistling  by.  The  pavement  resounded  with  the 
wooden  shoes  of  the  workmen  going  fieldward.  No 
noise  troubled  the  sad  stillness  of  the  library,  unless 
it  were  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  which  M.  Plantat  was 
turning  over,  or  now  and  then  a  groan  from  Robelot. 

"  Before  commencing,"  said  the  old  ntan,  "  I  ought 
to  consider  your  weariness ;  we  have  been  up  twenty- 
four  hours " 

But  the  others  protested  that  they  did  not  need  re- 
pose. The  fever  of  curiosity  had  chased  away  their 
exhaustion.  They  were  at  last  to  know  the  key  of  the 
mystery. 

"  Very  well,"  said  their  host,  "  listen  to  me." 

XII 

The  Count  Hector  de  Tremorel,  at  twenty-six,  was 
the  model  and  ideal  of  the  polished  man  of  the  world, 
proper  to  our  age ;  a  man  useless  alike  to  himself  and 
to  others,  harmful  even,  seeming  to  have  been  placed 
on  earth  expressly  to  play  at  the  expense  of  all.  Young, 
noble,  elegant,  rich  by  millions,  endowed  with  vigor- 
ous health,  this  last  descendant  of  a  great  family  squan- 
dered most  foolishly  and  ignobly  both  his  youth  and 
his  patrimony.  He  acquired  by  excesses  of  all  kinds 
a  wide  and  unenviable  celebrity.  People  talked  of  his 
stables,  his  carriages,  his  servants,  his  furniture,  his 
dogs,  his  favorite  loves.  His  cast-off  horses  still  took 
prizes,  and  a  jade  distinguished  by  his  notice  was  eager- 


i5o        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL1 

ly  sought  by  the  young  bloods  of  the  town.  Do  not 
think,  however,  that  he  was  naturally  vicious ;  he  had 
a  warm  heart,  and  even  generous  emotions  at  twenty. 
Six  years  of  unhealthy  pleasures  had  spoiled  him  to 
the  marrow.  Foolishly  vain,  he  was  ready  to  do  any- 
thing to  maintain  his  notoriety.  He  had  the  bold  and 
determined  egotism  of  one  who  has  never  had  to  think 
of  anyone  but  himself,  and  has  never  suffered.  Intoxi- 
cated by  the  flatteries  of  the  so-called  friends  who  drew 
his  money  from  him,  he  admired  himself,  mistaking 
his  brutal  cynicism  for  wit,  and  his  lofty  disdain  of  all 
morality  and  his  idiotic  scepticism,  for  character.  He 
was  also  feeble;  he  had  caprices,  but  never  a  will; 
feeble  as  a  child,  a  woman,  a  girl.  His  biography  was 
to  be  found  in  the  petty  journals  of  the  day,  which  re- 
tailed his  sayings — or  what  he  might  have  said;  his 
least  actions  and  gestures  were  reported. 

One  night  when  he  was  supping  at  the  Cafe  de  Paris, 
he  threw  all  the  plates  out  the  window.  It  cost  him 
twenty  thousand  francs.  Bravo !  One  morning  gos- 
siping Paris  learned  with  stupefaction  that  he  had 

eloped  to  Italy  with  the  wife  of  X ,  the  banker,  a 

lady  nineteen  years  married.  He  fought  a  duel,  and 
killed  his  man.  The  week  after,  he  was  wounded  in 
another.  He  was  a  hero!  On  one  occasion  he  went 
to  Baden,  where  he  broke  the  bank.  Another  time, 
after  playing  sixty  hours,  he  managed  to  lose  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  thousand  francs— won  by  a  Russian 
prince. 

He  was  one  of  those  men  whom  success  intoxicates, 
who  long  for  applause,  but  who  care  not  for  what  they 
are  applauded.  Count  Hector  was  more  than  ravished 
by  the  noise  he  made  in  the  world.  It  seemed  to  him 
the  acme  of  honor  and  glory  to  have  his  name  or  ini- 


tials  constantly  in  the  columns  of  the  Parisian  World. 
He  did  not  betray  this,  however,  but  said,  with  charm- 
ing modesty,  after  each  new  adventure : 

"  When  will  they  stop  talking  about  me?  " 

On  great  occasions,  he  borrowed  from  Louis  XIV. 
the  epigram : 

"  After  me  the  deluge." 

The  deluge  came  in  his  lifetime. 

One  April  morning,  his  valet,  a  villainous  fellow, 
drilled  and  dressed  up  by  the  count — woke  him  at  nine 
o'clock  with  this  speech : 

"  Monsieur,  a  bailiff  is  downstairs  in  the  ante-cham- 
ber, and  has  come  to  seize  your  furniture." 

Hector  turned  on  his  pillow,  yawned,  stretched,  and 
replied : 

"  Well,  tell  him  to  begin  operations  with  the  stables 
and  carriage-house  ;  and  then  come  up  and  dress  me." 

He  did  not  seem  disturbed,  and  the  servant  retired 
amazed  at  his  master's  coolness.  The  count  had  at 
least  sense  enough  to  know  the  state  of  his  finances ; 
and  he  had  foreseen,  nay,  expected  the  bailiff's  visit. 
Three  years  before,  when  he  had  been  laid  up  for  six 
weeks  in  consequence  of  a  fall  from  his  horse,  he  had 
measured  the  depth  of  the  gulf  toward  which  he  was 
hastening.  Then,  he  might  yet  have  saved  himself. 
But  he  must  have  changed  his  whole  course  of  life,  re- 
formed his  household,  learned  that  twenty-one  franc 
pieces  made  a  napoleon.  Fie,  never!  After  mature 
reflection  he  had  said  to  himself  that  he  would  go  on  to 
the  end.  When  the  last  hour  came,  he  would  fly  to 
the  other  end  of  France,  erase  his  name  from  his  linen, 
and  blow  his  brains  out  in  some  forest. 

This  hour  had  now  come. 

By  contracting  debts,  signing  bills,  renewing  obliga- 


152        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

tions,  paying  interests  and  compound  interests,  giving 
commissions  by  always  borrowing,  and  never  paying, 
Hector  had  consumed  the  princely  heritage — nearly 
four  millions  in  lands — which  he  had  received  at  his  fa- 
ther's death.  The  winter  just  past  had  cost  him  fifty 
thousand  crowns.  He  had  tried  eight  days  before  to 
borrow  a  hundred  thousand  francs,  and  had  failed.  He 
had  been  refused,  not  because  his  property  was  not  as 
much  as  he  owed,  but  because  it  was  known  that  prop- 
erty sold  by  a  bankrupt  does  not  bring  its  value. 

Thus  it  was  that  when  the  valet  came  in  and  said, 
"  The  bailiff  is  here,"  he  seemed  like  a  spectre  com- 
manding suicide. 

Hector  took  the  announcement  coolly  and  said,  as 
he  got  up : 

"  Well,  here's  an  end  of  it." 

He  was  very  calm,  though  a  little  confused.  A  little 
confusion  is  excusable  when  a  man  passes  from  wealth 
to  beggary.  He  thought  he  would  make  his  last  toilet 
with  especial  care.  Parbleu!  The  French  nobility 
goes  into  battle  in  court  costume!  He  was  ready  hi 
less  than  an  hour.  He  put  on  his  bejewelled  watch- 
chain  ;  then  he  put  a  pair  of  little  pistols,  of  the  finest 
quality,  in  his  overcoat  pocket ;  then  he  sent  the  valet 
away,  and  opening  his  desk,  he  counted  up  what  funds 
he  had  left.  Ten  thousand  and  some  hundreds  of  francs 
remained.  He  might  with  this  sum  take  a  journey, 
prolong  his  life  two  or  three  months ;  but  he  repelled 
with  disdain  the  thought  of  a  miserable  subterfuge,  of 
a  reprieve  in  disguise.  He  imagined  that  with  this 
money  he  might  make  a  great  show  of  generosity, 
which  would  be  talked  of  in  the  world ;  it  would  be 
chivalrous  to  breakfast  with  his  inamorata  and  make 
her  a  present  of  this  money  at  dessert.  During  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        153 

meal  he  would  be  full  of  nervous  gayety,  of  cynical  hu- 
mor, and  then  he  would  announce  his  intention  to  kill 
himself.  The  girl  would  not  fail  to  narrate  the  scene 
everywhere ;  she  would  repeat  his  last  conversation,  his 
last  will  and  gift;  all  the  cafes  would  buzz  with  it  at 
night ;  the  papers  would  be  full  of  it. 

This  idea  strangely  excited  him,  and  comforted  him 
at  once.  He  was  going  out,  when  his  eyes  fell  upon 
the  mass  of  papers  in  his  desk.  Perhaps  there  was 
something  there  which  might  dim  the  positiveness  of 
his  resolution.  He  emptied  all  the  drawers  without 
looking  or  choosing,  and* put  all  the  papers  in  the  fire. 
He  looked  with  pride  upon  this  conflagration ;  there 
were  bills,  love  letters,  business  letters,  bonds,  patents 
of  nobility,  deeds  of  property.  Was  it  not  his  brilliant 
past  which  flickered  and  consumed  in  the  fireplace  ? 

The  bailiff  occurred  to  him,  and  he 'hastily  descend- 
ed. He  was  the  most  polite  of  bailiffs,  a  man  of  taste 
and  wit,  a  friend  of  artists,  himself  a  poet  at  times. 
He  had  already  seized  eight  horses  in  the  stables  with 
all  their  harness  and  trappings,  and  five  carriages  with 
their  equipage,  in  the  carriage-house. 

"  I'm  going  on  slowly,  Count,"  said  he,  bowing. 
"  Perhaps  you  wish  to  arrest  the  execution.  The  sum 
is  large,  to  be  sure,  but  a  man  in  your  position " 

"  Believe  that  you  are  here  because  it  suits  me,"  in- 
terrupted Hector,  proudly,  "  this  house  doesn't  suit  me; 
I  shall  never  enter  it  again.  So,  as  you  are  master,  go 
on." 

And  wheeling  round  on  his  heel  he  went  off. 

The  astonished  bailiff  proceeded  with  his  work.  He 
went  from  room  to  room,  admiring  and  seizing.  He 
seized  cups  gained  at  the  races,  collections  of  pipes  and 


154 

arms,  and  the  library,  containing  many  sporting-books, 
superbly  bound. 

Meanwhile  the  Count  de  Tremorel,  who  was  re- 
solved more  than  ever  on  suicide,  ascending  the  boule- 
vards came  to  his  inamorata's  house,  which  was  near 
the  Madeleine.  He  had  introduced  her  some  six 
months  before  into  the  demi-monde  as  Jenny  Fancy. 
Her  real  name  was  Pelagic  Taponnet,  and  although 
the  count  did  not  know  it,  she  was  his  valet's  sister. 
She  was  pretty  and  lively,  with  delicate  hands  and  a 
tiny  foot,  superb  chestnut  hair,  white  teeth,  and  great 
impertinent  black  eyes,  which  were  languishing,  ca- 
ressing, or  provoking,  at  will.  She  had  passed  sud- 
denly from  the  most  abject  poverty  to  a  state  of  extrav- 
agant luxury.  This  brilliant  change  did  not  astonish 
her  as  much  as  you  might  think.  Forty-eight  hours 
after  her  removal  to  her  new  apartments,  she  had  es- 
tablished order  among  the  servants ;  she  made  them 
obey  a  glance  or  a  gesture ;  and  she  made  her  dress- 
makers and  milliners  submit  with  good  grace  to  her 
orders.  Jenny  soon  began  to  languish,  in  her  fine 
rooms,  for  new  excitement;  her  gorgeous  toilets  no 
longer  amused  her.  A  woman's  happiness  is  not  com- 
plete unless  seasoned  by  the  jealousy  of  rivals.  Jen- 
ny's rivals  lived  in  the  Faubourg  du  Temple,  near  the 
barrier ;  they  could  not  envy  her  splendor,  for  they  did 
not  know  her,  and  she  was  strictly  forbidden  to  associ- 
ate with  and  so  dazzle  them.  As  for  Tremorel,  Jenny 
submitted  to  him  from  necessity.  He  seemed  to  her 
the  most  tiresome  of  men.  She  thought  his  friends 
the  dreariest  of  beings.  Perhaps  she  perceived  beneath 
their  ironically  polite  manner,  a  contempt  for  her,  and 
understood  of  how  little  consequence  she  was  to  these 
rich  people,  these  high  livers,  gamblers,  men  of  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        155 

world.  Her  pleasures  comprised  an  evening  with 
someone  of  her  own  class,  card-playing,  at  which  she 
won,  and  a  midnight  supper.  The  rest  of  the  time  she 
suffered  ennui.  She  was  wearied  to  death.  A  hun- 
dred times  she  was  on  the  point  of  discarding  Tre- 
morel,  abandoning  all  this  luxury,  money,  servants, 
and  resuming  her  old  life.  Many  a  time  she  packed 
up  ;  her  vanity  always  checked  her  at  the  last  moment. 

Hector  de  Tremorel  rang  at  her  door  at  eleven  on 
the  morning  in  question.  She  did  not  expect  him  so 
early,  and  she  was  evidently  surprised  when  he  told  her 
he  had  come  to  breakfast,  and  asked  her  to  hasten  the 
cook,  as  he  was  in  a  great  hurry. 

She  had  never,  she  thought,  seen  him  so  amiable,  so 
gay.  All  through  breakfast  he  sparkled,  as  he  prom- 
ised himself  he  would,  with  spirit  and  fun.  At  last, 
while  they  were  sipping  their  coffee,  Hector  spoke : 

"  All  this,  my  dear,  is  only  a  preface,  intended  to 
prepare  you  for  a  piece  of  news  which  will  surprise  you. 
I  am  a  ruined  man." 

She  looked  at  him  with  amazement,  not  seeming  to 
comprehend  him. 

"  I  said — ruined,"  said  he,  laughing  bitterly,  "  as 
ruined  as  man  can  be." 

"  Oh,  you  are  making  fun  of  me,  joking -" 

"  I  never  spoke  so  seriously  in  my  life.  It  seems 
strange  to  you,  doesn't  it?  Yet  it's  sober  truth." 

Jenny's  large  eyes  continued  to  interrogate  him. 

"  Why,"  he  continued,  with  lofty  carelessness,  "  life, 
you  know,  is  like  a  bunch  of  grapes,  which  one  either 
eats  gradually,  piece  by  piece,  or  squeezes  into  a  glass 
to  be  tossed  off  at  a  gulp.  I've  chosen  the  latter  way. 
My  grape  was  four  million  francs ;  they  are  drunk  up 
to  the  dregs.  I  don't  regret  them,  I've  had  a  jolly  life 


156        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

for  my  money.  But  now  I  can  flatter  myself  that  I  am 
as  much  of  a  beggar  as  any  beggar  in  France.  Every- 
thing at  my  house  is  in  the  bailiff's  hands — I  am  with- 
out a  domicile,  without  a  penny." 

He  spoke  with  increasing  animation  as  the  multitude 
of  diverse  thoughts  passed  each  other  tumultuously  in 
his  brain.  And  he  was  not  playing  a  part.  He  was 
speaking  in  all  good  faith. 

"  But — then — "  stammered  Jenny. 

"  What  ?    Are  you  free  ?     Just  so " 

She  hardly  knew  whether  to  rejoice  or  mourn. 

"  Yes,"  he  continued,  "  I  give  you  back  your  lib- 
erty." 

Jenny  made  a  gesture  which  Hector  misunderstood. 

"  Oh !  be  quiet,"  he  added  quickly,  "  I  sha'n't  leave 
you  thus ;  I  would  not  desert  you  in  a  state  of  need. 
This  furniture  is  yours,  and  I  have  provided  for  you  be- 
sides. Here  in  my  pocket  are  five  hundred  napoleons ; 
it  is  my  all ;  I  have  brought  it  to  give  to  you." 

He  passed  the  money  over  to  her  on  a  plate,  laugh- 
ingly, imitating  the  restaurant  waiters.  She  pushed  it 
back  with  a  shudder. 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  he,  "  that's  a  good  sign,  my  dear ; 
very  good,  very  good.  I've  always  thought  and  said 
that  you  were  a  good  girl — in  fact,  too  good ;  you 
needed  correcting." 

She  did,  indeed,  have  a  good  heart ;  for  instead  of 
taking  Hector's  bank-notes  and  turning  him  out  of 
doors,  she  tried  to  comfort  and  console  him.  Since  he 
had  confessed  to  her  that  he  was  penniless,  she  ceased 
to  hate  him,  and  even  commenced  to  love  him.  Hec- 
tor, homeless,  was  no  longer  the  dreaded  man  who  paid 
to  be  master,  the  millionnaire  who,  by  a  caprice,  had 
raised  her  from  the  gutter.  He  was  no  longer  the  ex- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        157 

ecrated  tyrant.  Ruined,  he  descended  from  his  pedes- 
tal, he  became  a  man  like  others,  to  be  preferred  to 
others,  as  a  handsome  and  gallant  youth.  Then  Jenny 
mistook  the  last  artifice  of  a  discarded  vanity  for  a  gen- 
erous impulse  of  the  heart,  and  was  deeply  touched  by 
this  splendid  last  gift. 

"  You  are  not  as  poor  as  you  say,"  she  said,  "  for  you 
still  have  so  large  a  sum." 

"  But,  dear  child,  I  have  several  times  given  as  much 
for  diamonds  which  you  envied." 

She  reflected  a  moment,  then  as  if  an  idea  had  struck 
her,  exclaimed : 

"  That's  true  enough ;  but  I  can  spend,  oh,  a  great 
deal  less,  and  yet  be  just  as  happy.  Once,  before  I 
knew  you,  when  I  was  young  (she  was  now  nineteen), 
ten  thousand  francs  seemed  to  me  to  be  one  of  those 
fabulous  sums  which  were  talked  about,  but  which  few 
men  ever  saw  in  one  pile,  and  fewer  still  held  in  their 
hands." 

She  tried  to  slip  the  money  into  the  count's  pocket ; 
but  he  prevented  it. 

"  Come,  take  it  back,  keep  it " 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  wouldn't  this  money  bring  in 
more?  Couldn't  you  speculate  on  the  Bourse,  bet  at 
the  races,  play  at  Baden,  or  something?  I've  heard  of 
people  that  are  now  rich  as  kings,  who  commenced 
with  nothing,  and  hadn't  your  talents  either.  Why 
don't  you  do  as  they  did  ?  " 

She  spoke  excitedly,  as  a  woman  does  who  is  anx- 
ious to  persuade.  He  looked  at  her,  astonished  to  find 
her  so  sensitive,  so  disinterested. 

"  You  will,  won't  you  ?  "  she  insisted,  "  now,  won't 
you?" 


158        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  You  are  a  good  girl,"  said  he,  charmed  with  her, 
"  but  you  must  take  this  money.  I  give  it  to  you, 
don't  be  worried  about  anything." 

"  But  you — have  you  still  any  money  ?  What  have 
you?" 

"  I  have  yet " 

He  stopped,  searched  his  pockets,  and  counted  the 
money  in  his  purse. 

"  Faith,  here's  three  hundred  and  forty  francs — 
more  than  I  need.  I  must  give  some  napoleons  to 
your  servants  before  I  go." 

"  And  what  for  Heaven's  sake  will  become  of  you?  " 

He  sat  back  in  his  chair,  negligently  stroked  his 
handsome  beard,  and  said : 

"  I  am  going  to  blow  my  brains  out." 

"  Oh ! " 

Hector  thought  that  she  doubted  what  he  said.  He 
took  his  pistols  out  of  his  pockets,  showed  them  to  her, 
and  went  on : 

"  You  see  these  toys  ?  Well,  when  I  leave  you,  I 
shall  go  somewhere — no  matter  where — put  the  muz- 
zle to  my  temple,  thus,  press  the  trigger — and  all  will 
be  over !  " 

She  gazed  at  him,  her  eyes  dilated  with  terror,  pale, 
breathing  hard  and  fast.  But  at  the  same  time,  she 
admired  him.  She  marvelled  at  so  much  courage,  at 
this  calm,  this  careless  railing  tone.  What  superb  dis- 
dain of  life!  To  exhaust  his  fortune  and  then  kill 
himself,  without  a  cry,  a  tear,  or  a  regret,  seemed  to 
her  an  act  of  heroism  unheard  of,  unexampled.  It 
seemed  to  her  that  a  new,  unknown,  beautiful,  radiant 
man  stood  before  her.  She  loved  him  as  she  had  never 
loved  before ! 

"  No !  "  she  cried,  "  no !    It  shall  not  be !  " 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        159 

And  rising  suddenly,  she  rushed  to  him  and  seized 
him  by  the  arm. 

"  You  will  not  kill  yourself,  will  you?  Promise  me, 
swear  it  to  me.  It  isn't  possible,  you  would  not!  I 
love  you — I  couldn't  bear  you  before.  Oh,  I  did  not 
know  you,  but  now — come,  we  will  be  happy.  You, 
who  have  lived  with  millions  don't  know  how  much 
ten  thousand  francs  are — but  I  know.  We  can  live  a 
long  time  on  that,  and  very  well,  too.  Then,  if  we  are 
obliged  to  sell  the  useless  things — the  horses,  car- 
riages, my  diamonds,  my  green  cashmere,  we  can  have 
three  or  four  times  that  sum.  Thirty  thousand  francs 
— it's  a  fortune !  Think  how  many  happy  days " 

The  Count  de  Tremorel  shook  his  head,  smilingly. 
He  was  ravished ;  his  vanity  was  flattered  by  the  heat 
of  the  passion  which  beamed  from  the  poor  girl's  eyes. 
How  he  was  beloved!  How  he  would  be  regretted! 
What  a  hero  the  world  was  about  to  lose ! 

"  For  we  will  not  stay  here,"  Jenny  went  on,  "  we 
will  go  and  conceal  ourselves  far  from  Paris,  in  a  little 
cottage.  Why,  on  the  other  side  of  Belleville  you  can 
get  a  place  surrounded  by  gardens  for  a  thousand 
francs  a  year.  How  well  off  we  should  be  there !  You 
would  never  leave  me,  for  I  should  be  jealous — oh,  so 
jealous !  We  wouldn't  have  any  servants,  and  you 
should  see  that  I  know  how  to  keep  house." 

Hector  said  nothing. 

"  While  the  money  lasts,"  continued  Jenny,  "  we'll 
laugh  away  the  days.  When  it's  all  gone,  if  you  are 
still  decided,  you  will  kill  yourself — that  is,  we  will 
kill  ourselves  together.  But  not  with  a  pistol — No! 
We'll  light  a  pan  of  charcoal,  sleep  in  one  another's 
arms,  and  that  will  be  the  end.  They  say  one  doesn't 
suffer  that  way  at  all." 


160        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

This  idea  drew  Hector  from  his  torpor,  and  awoke 
in  him  a  recollection  which  ruffled  all  his  vanity. 

Three  or  four  days  before,  he  had  read  in  a  paper  the 
account  of  the  suicide  of  a  cook,  who,  in  a  fit  of  love 
and  despair,  had  bravely  suffocated  himself  in  his  gar- 
ret. Before  dying  he  had  written  a  most  touching  let- 
ter to  his  faithless  love.  The  idea  of  killing  himself 
like  a  cook  made  him  shudder.  He  saw  the  possibility 
of  the  horrible  comparison.  How  ridiculous !  And 
the  Count  de  Tremorel  had  a  wholesome  fear  of  ridi- 
cule. To  suffocate  himself,  at  Belleville,  with  a  gris- 
ette,  how  dreadful !  He  almost  rudely  pushed  Jenny's 
arms  away,  and  repulsed  her. 

"  Enough  of  that  sort  of  thing,"  said  he,  in  his  care- 
less tone.  "  What  you  say,  child,  is  all  very  pretty,  but 
utterly  absurd.  A  man  of  my  name  dies,  and  doesn't 
choke."  And  taking  the  bank-notes  from  his  pocket, 
where  Jenny  had  slipped  them,  he  threw  them  on  the 
table. 

"  Now,  good-by." 

He  would  have  gone,  but  Jenny,  red  and  with  glis- 
tening eyes,  barred  the  door  with  her  body. 

"  You  shall  not  go !  "  she  cried,  "  I  won't  have  you ; 
you  are  mine — for  I  love  you ;  if  you  take  one  step,  I 
will  scream." 

The  count  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  But  we  must  end  all  this  !  " 

"  You  sha'n't  go !  " 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  blow  my  brains  out  here."  And 
taking  out  one  of  his  pistols,  he  held  it  to  his  forehead, 
adding,  "  If  you  call  out  and  don't  let  me  pass,  I  shall 
fire."  He  meant  the  threat  for  earnest. 

But  Jenny  did  not  call  out ;  she  could  not ;  she 
uttered  a  deep  groan  and  fainted. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        161 

"  At  last !  "  muttered  Hector,  replacing  the  pistol  in 
his  pocket. 

He  went  out,  not  taking  time  to  lift  her  from  the 
floor  where  she  had  fallen,  and  shut  the  door.  Then 
he  called  the  servants  into  the  vestibule,  gave  them  ten 
napoleons  to  divide  among  them,  and  hastened  away. 

XIII 

The  Count  de  Tremorel,  having  reached  the  street, 
ascended  the  boulevard.  All  of  a  sudden  he  bethought 
him  of  his  friends.  The  story  of  the  execution  must 
have  already  spread. 

"  No ;  not  that  way,"  he  muttered. 

This  was  because,  on  the  boulevard,  he  would  cer- 
tainly meet  some  of  his  very  dear  cronies,  and  he  de- 
sired to  escape  their  condolence  and  offers  of  service. 
He  pictured  to  himself  their  sorry  visages,  concealing 
a  hidden  and  delicious  satisfaction.  He  had  wounded 
so  many  vanities  that  he  must  look  for  terrible  re- 
venges. The  friends  of  an  insolently  prosperous  man 
are  rejoiced  in  his  downfall. 

Hector  crossed  the  street,  went  along  the  Rue  Du- 
phot,  and  reached  the  quays.  Where  was  he  going? 
He  did  not  know,  and  did  not  even  ask  himself.  He 
walked  at  random,  enjoying  the  physical  content  which 
follows  a  good  meal,  happy  to  find  himself  still  in  the 
land  of  the  living,  in  the  soft  April  sunlight. 

The  weather  was  superb,  and  all  Paris  was  out  of 
doors.  There  was  a  holiday  air  about  the  town.  The 
flower-women  at  the  corners  of  the  bridges  had  their 
baskets  full  of  odorous  violets.  The  count  bought  a 
bouquet  near  the  Pont  Neuf  and  stuck  it  in  his  button- 
hole, and  without  waiting  for  his  change,  passed  on. 


i6z        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

He  reached  the  large  square  at  the  end  of  the  Bourdon 
boulevard,  which  is  always  full  of  jugglers  and  curi- 
osity shows ;  here  the  noise,  the  music,  drew  him  from 
his  torpor,  and  brought  his  thoughts  back  to  his  pres- 
ent situation. 

"  I  must  leave  Paris,"  thought  he. 

He  crossed  toward  the  Orleans  station  at  a  quicker 
pace.  He  entered  the  waiting-room,  and  asked  what 
time  the  train  left  for  Etampes.  Why  did  he  choose 
Etampes?  A  train  had  just  gone,  and  there  would  not 
be  another  one  for  two  hours.  He  was  much  annoyed 
at  this,  and  as  he  could  not  wait  there  two  hours,  he 
wended  his  way,  to  kill  time,  toward  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes.  He  had  not  been  there  for  ten  or  twelve 
years — not  since,  when  at  school,  his  teachers  had 
brought  him  there  to  look  at  the  animals.  Nothing 
had  changed.  There  were  the  groves  and  parterres, 
the  lawns  and  lanes,  the  beasts  and  birds,  as  before. 
The  principal  avenue  was  nearly  deserted.  He  took  a 
seat  opposite  the  mineralogical  museum.  He  reflected 
on  his  position.  He  glanced  back  through  the  depart- 
ed years,  and  did  not  find  one  day  among  those  many 
days  which  had  left  him  one  of  those  gracious  memo- 
ries which  delight  and  console.  Millions  had  slipped 
through  his  prodigal  hands,  and  he  could  not  recall  a 
single  useful  expenditure,  a  really  generous  one, 
amounting  to  twenty  francs.  He,  who  had  had  so 
many  friends,  searched  his  memory  in  vain  for  the 
name  of  a  single  friend  whom  he  regretted  to  part  from. 
The  past  seemed  to  him  like  a  faithful  mirror ;  he  was 
surprised,  startled  at  the  folly  of  the  pleasures,  the  in- 
ane delights,  which  had  been  the  end  and  aim  of  his  ex- 
istence. For  what  had  he  lived  ?  For  others. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        163 

"Ah,  what  a  fool  I  was!"  he  muttered,  "what  a 
fool !  " 

After  living  for  others,  he  was  going1  to  kill  himself 
for  others.  His  heart  became  softened.  Who  would 
think  of  him,  eight  days  hence?  Not  one  living  being. 
Yes — Jenny,  perhaps.  Yet,  no.  She  would  be  con- 
soled with  a  new  lover  in  less  than  a  week. 

The  bell  for  closing  the  garden  rang.  Night  had 
come,  and  a  thick  and  damp  mist  had  covered  the  city. 
The  count,  chilled  to  the  bones,  left  his  seat. 

"  To  the  station  again,"  muttered  he. 

It  was  a  horrible  idea  to  him  now — this  of  shooting 
himself  in  the  silence  and  obscurity  of  the  forest.  He 
pictured  to  himself  his  disfigured  body,  bleeding,  lying 
on  the  edge  of  some  ditch.  Beggars  or  robbers  would 
despoil  him.  And  then?  The  police  would  come  ancl 
take  up  this  unknown  body,  and  doubtless  would 
carry  it,  to  be  identified,  to  the  Morgue. 

"  Never !  "  cried  he,  at  this  thought,  "  no,  never !  " 

How  die,  then  ?  He  reflected,  and  it  struck  him  that 
he  would  kill  himself  in  some  second-class  hotel  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Seine. 

"  Yes,  that's  it,"  said  he  to  himself. 

Leaving  the  garden  with  the  last  of  the  visitors,  he 
wended  his  way  toward  the  Latin  Quarter.  The  care- 
lessness which  he  had  assumed  in  the  morning  gave 
way  to  a  sad  resignation.  He  was  suffering ;  his  head 
was  heavy,  and  he  was  cold. 

"  If  I  shouldn't  die  to-night,"  he  thought,  "  I  shall 
have  a  terrible  cold  in  the  morning." 

This  mental  sally  did  not  make  him  smile,  but  it  gave 
him  the  consciousness  of  being  firm  and  determined. 
He  went  into  the  Rue  Dauphine  and  looked  about  for 
a  hotel.  Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  it  was  not  yet 


164        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

seven  o'clock,  and  it  might  arouse  suspicions  if  he 
asked  for  a  room  at  that  early  hour.  He  reflected  that 
he  still  had  over  one  hundred  francs,  and  resolved  to 
dine.  It  should  be  his  last  meal.  He  went  into  a  res- 
taurant and  ordered  it.  But  he  in  vain  tried  to  throw 
off  the  anxious  sadness  which  filled  him.  He  drank, 
and  consumed  three  bottles  of  wine  without  changing 
the  current  of  his  thoughts. 

The  waiters  were  surprised  to  see  him  scarcely  touch 
the  dishes  set  before  him,  and  growing  more  gloomy 
after  each  potation.  His  dinner  cost  ninety  francs; 
he  threw  his  last  hundred-franc  note  on  the  table,  and 
went  out.  As  it  was  not  yet  late,  he  went  into  another 
restaurant  where  some  students  were  drinking,  and  sat 
down  at  a  table  in  the  farther  corner  of  the  room.  He 
ordered  coffee  and  rapidly  drank  three  or  four  cups. 
He  wished  to  excite  himself,  to  screw  up  his  courage  to 
do  what  he  had  resolved  upon ;  but  he  could  not ;  the 
drink  seemed  only  to  make  him  more  and  more  irreso- 
lute. 

A  waiter,  seeing  him  alone  at  the  table,  offered  him  a 
newspaper.  He  took  it  mechanically,  opened  it,  and 
read: 

"  Just  as  we  are  going  to  press,  we  learn  that  a  well- 
known  person  has  disappeared,  after  announcing  his 
intention  to  commit  suicide.  The  statements  made  to 
us  are  so  strange,  that  we  defer  details  till  to-morrow, 
not  having  time  to  send  for  fuller  information  now." 

These  lines  startled  Hector.  They  were  his  death 
sentence,  not  to  be  recalled,  signed  by  the  tyrant  whose 
obsequious  courtier  he  had  always  been — public  opin- 
ion. 

"  They  will  never  cease  talking  about  me,"  he  mut- 


THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        165 

tered  angrily.  Then  he  added,  firmly,  "  Come,  I  must 
make  an  end  of  this." 

He  soon  reached  the  Hotel  Luxembourg.  He 
rapped  at  the  door,  and  was  speedily  conducted  to  the 
best  room  in  the  house.  He  ordered  a  fire  to  be  light- 
ed. He  also  asked  for  sugar  and  water,  and  writing 
materials.  At  this  moment  he  was  as  firm  as  in  the 
morning. 

"  I  must  not  hesitate,"  he  muttered,  "  nor  recoil  from 
my  fate." 

He  sat  down  at  the  table  near  the  fireplace,  and 
wrote  in  a  firm  hand  a  declaration  which  he  destined 
for  the  police. 

"  No  one  must  be  accused  of  my  death,"  he  com- 
menced ;  and  he  went  on  by  asking  that  the  hotel- 
keeper  should  be  indemnified. 

The  hour  by  the  clock  was  five  minutes  before 
eleven  ;  he  placed  his  pistols  on  the  mantel. 

"  I  will  shoot  myself  at  midnight,"  thought  he.  "  I 
have  yet  an  hour  to  live." 

The  count  threw  himself  in  an  arm-chair  and  buried 
his  face  in  his  hands.  Why  did  he  not  kill  himself  at 
once?  Why  impose  on  himself  this  hour  of  waiting,  of 
anguish  and  torture?  He  could  not  have  told.  He  be- 
gan again  to  think  over  the  events  of  his  life,  reflecting 
on  the  headlong  rapidity  of  the  occurrences  which  had 
brought  him  to  that  wretched  room.  How  time  had 
passed !  It  seemed  but  yesterday  that  he  first  began 
to  borrow.  It  does  little  good,  however,  to  a  man  who 
has  fallen  to  the  bottom  of  the  abyss,  to  know  the 
causes  why  he  fell. 

The  large  hand  of  the  clock  had  passed  the  half  hour 
after  eleven. 

He  thought  of  the  newspaper  item  which  he  had  just 


166        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

read.  Who  furnished  the  information?  Doubtless  it 
was  Jenny.  She  had  come  to  her  senses,  tearfully 
hastened  after  him.  When  she  failed  to  find  him  on 
the  boulevard,  she  had  probably  gone  to  his  house, 
then  to  his  club,  then  to  some  of  his  friends.  So  that 
to-night,  at  this  very  moment,  the  world  was  discuss- 
ing him. 

"  Have  you  heard  the  news  ?  " 

"Ah,  yes,  poor  Tremorel!  What  a  romance!  A 
good  fellow,  only " 

He  thought  he  heard  this  "  only "  greeted  with 
laughter  and  innuendoes.  Time  passed  on.  The  ring- 
ing vibration  of  the  clock  was  at  hand ;  the  hour  had 
come. 

The  count  got  up,  seized  his  pistols,  and  placed  him- 
self near  the  bed,  so  as  not  to  fall  on  the  floor. 

The  first  stroke  of  twelve ;  he  did  not  fire. 

Hector  was  a  man  of  courage;  his  reputation  for 
bravery  was  high.  He  had  fought  at  least  ten  duels, 
and  his  cool  bearing  on  the  ground  had  always  been 
admiringly  remarked.  One  day  he  had  killed  a  man, 
and  that  night  he  slept  very  soundly. 

But  he  did  not  fire. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  courage.  One,  false  cour- 
age, is  that  meant  for  the  public  eye,  which  needs  the 
excitement  of  the  struggle,  the  stimulus  of  rage,  and  the 
applause  of  lookers-on.  The  other,  true  courage,  de- 
spises public  opinion,  obeys  conscience,  not  passion ; 
success  does  not  sway  it,  it  does  its  work  noiselessly. 

Two  minutes  after  twelve — Hector  still  held  the  pis- 
tol against  his  forehead. 

"  Am  I  going  to  be  afraid?  "  he  asked  himself. 

He  was  afraid,  but  would  not  confess  it  to  himself. 


The  Count  threw  himself  into  an  arm-chair  and  buried  his  face 

hands. 


in  his 


THE    MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        167 

He  put  his  pistols  back  on  the  table  and  returned  to  his 
seat  near  the  fire.  All  his  limbs  were  trembling. 

"  It's  nervousness,"  he  muttered.     "  It'll  pass  off." 

He  gave  himself  till  one  o'clock.  He  tried  to  con- 
vince himself  of  the  necessity  of  committing  suicide. 
If  he  did  not,  what  would  become  of  him  ?  How  would 
he  live?  Must  he  make  up  his  mind  to  work?  Be- 
sides, could  he  appear  in  the  world,  when  all  Paris 
knew  of  his  intention?  This  thought  goaded  him  to 
fury;  he  had  a  sudden  courage,  and  grasped  his  pis- 
tols. But  the  sensation  which  the  touch  of  the  cold 
steel  gave  him,  caused  him  to  drop  his  arm  and  draw 
away  shuddering. 

"  I  cannot,"  repeated  he,  in  his  anguish.  "  I  can- 
not !  " 

The  idea  of  the  physical  pain  of  shooting  himself 
filled  him  with  horror.  Why  had  he  not  a  gentler 
death?  Poison,  or  perhaps  charcoal — like  the  little 
cook  ?  He  did  not  fear  the  ludicrousness  of  this  now ; 
all  that  he  feared  was,  that  the  courage  to  kill  himself 
would  fail  him. 

He  went  on  extending  his  time  of  grace  from  half- 
hour  to  half-hour.  It  was  a  horrible  night,  full  of  the 
agony  of  the  last  night  of  the  criminal  condemned  to 
the  scaffold.  He  wept  with  grief  and  rage  and  wrung 
his  hands  and  prayed.  Toward  daylight  he  fell  ex- 
hausted into  an  uneasy  slumber,  in  his  arm-chair.  He 
was  awakened  by  three  or  four  heavy  raps  on  the  door, 
which  he  hastily  opened.  It  was  the  waiter,  who  had 
come  to  take  his  order  for  breakfast,  and  who  started 
back  with  amazement  on  seeing  Hector,  so  disordered 
was  his  clothing  and  so  livid  the  pallor  of  his  features. 

"I  want  nothing,"  said  the  count.  "I'm  going 
down." 


i68        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

He  had  just  enough  money  left  to  pay  his  bill,  and 
six  sous  for  the  waiter.  He  quitted  the  hotel  where  he 
had  suffered  so  much,  without  end  or  aim  in  view.  He 
was  more  resolved  than  ever  to  die,  only  he  yearned 
for  several  days  of  respite  to  nerve  himself  for  the 
deed.  But  how  could  he  live  during  these  days?  He 
had  not  so  much  as  a  centime  left.  An  idea  struck 
him — the  pawnbrokers ! 

He  knew  that  at  the  Monte-de-Piete  *  a  certain 
amount  would  be  advanced  to  him  on  his  jewelry.  But 
where  find  a  branch  office?  He  dared  not  ask,  but 
hunted  for  one  at  hazard.  He  now  held  his  head  up, 
walked  with  a  firmer  step;  he  was  seeking  something, 
and  had  a  purpose  to  accomplish.  He  at  last  saw  the 
sign  of  the  Monte-de-Piete  on  a  house  in  the  Rue 
Conde,  and  entered.  The  hall  was  small,  damp,  filthy, 
and  full  of  people.  But  if  the  place  was  gloomy,  the 
borrowers  seemed  to  take  their  misfortunes  good- 
humoredly.  They  were  mostly  students  and  women, 
talking  gayly  as  they  waited  for  their  turns.  The 
Count  de  Tremorel  advanced  with  his  watch,  chain, 
and  a  brilliant  diamond  that  he  had  taken  from  his  fin- 
ger. He  was  seized  with  the  timidity  of  misery,  and 
did  not  know  how  to  open  his  business.  A  young 
woman  pitied  his  embarrassment. 

"  See,"  said  she,  "  put  your  articles  on  this  counter, 
before  that  window  with  green  curtains." 

A  moment  after  he  heard  a  voice  which  seemed  to 
proceed  from  the  next  room  : 

"  Twelve  hundred  francs  for  the  watch  and  ring." 

This  large  amount  produced  such  a  sensation  as  to 
arrest  all  the  conversation.  All  eyes  were  turned  tow- 

*  The  public  pawnbroker  establishment  of  Paris,  which  has 
branch  bureaus  through  the  city. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        169 

ard  the  millionnaire  who  was  going  to  pocket  such  a 
fortune.  The  millionnaire  made  no  response. 

The  same  woman  who  had  spoken  before  nudged 
his  arm. 

"  That's  for  you,"  said  she.  "  Answer  whether  you 
will  take  it  or  not." 

"  I'll  take  it,"  cried  Hector. 

He  was  filled  with  a  joy  which  made  him  forget  the 
night's  torture.  Twelve  hundred  francs !  How  many 
days  it  would  last!  Had  he  not  heard  there  were 
clerks  who  hardly  got  that  in  a  year  ? 

Hector  waited  a  long  time,  when  one  of  the  clerks, 
who  was  writing  at  a  desk,  called  out: 

"  Whose  are  the  twelve  hundred  francs  ?  " 

The  count  stepped  forward. 

"  Mine,"  said  he. 

"Your  name?" 

Hector  hesitated.  He  would  never  give  his  name 
aloud  in  such  a  place  as  this.  He  gave  the  first  name 
that  occurred  to  him. 

"  Durand." 

"  Where  are  your  papers  ?  " 

"What  papers?" 

"  A  passport,  a  receipt  for  lodgings,  a  license  to 
hunt " 

"  I  haven't  any." 

"  Go  for  them,  or  bring  two  well-known  witnesses." 

"  But " 

"  There  is  no  but.     The  next " 

Hector  was  provoked  by  the  clerk's  abrupt  manner. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  give  me  back  the  jewelry." 

The  clerk  looked  at  him  jeeringly. 

"  Can't  be  done.  No  goods  that  are  registered,  can 
be  returned  without  proof  of  rightful  possession."  So 


170        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

saying,  he  went  on  with  his  work.  "  One  French 
shawl,  thirty-five  francs,  whose  is  it?  " 

Hector  meanwhile  went  out  of  the  establishment. 
He  had  never  suffered  so  much,  had  never  imagined 
that  one  could  suffer  so  much.  After  this  ray  of  hope, 
so  abruptly  put  out,  the  clouds  lowered  over  him 
thicker  and  more  hopelessly.  He  was  worse  off  than 
the  shipwrecked  sailor ;  the  pawnbroker  had  taken  his 
last  resources.  All  the  romance  with  which  he  had  in- 
vested the  idea  of  his  suicide  now  vanished,  leaving  bare 
the  stern  and  ignoble  reality.  He  must  kill  himself, 
not  like  the  gay  gamester  who  voluntarily  leaves  upon 
the  roulette  table  the  remains  of  his  fortune,  but  like 
the  Greek,  who  surprised  and  hunted,  knows  that  every 
door  will  be  shut  upon  him.  His  death  would  not  be 
voluntary;  he  could  neither  hesitate  nor  choose  the 
fatal  hour ;  he  must  kill  himself  because  he  had  not  the 
means  of  living  one  day  longer. 

And  life  never  before  seemed  to  him  so  sweet  a 
thing  as  now.  He  never  felt  so  keenly  the  exuberance 
of  his  youth  and  strength.  He  suddenly  discovered  all 
about  him  a  crowd  of  pleasures  each  more  enviable 
than  the  others,  which  he  had  never  tasted.  He  who 
flattered  himself  that  he  had  squeezed  life  to  press  out 
its  pleasures,  had  not  really  lived.  He  had  had  all  that 
is  to  be  bought  or  sold,  nothing  of  what  is  given  or 
achieved.  He  already  not  only  regretted  giving  the 
ten  thousand  francs  to  Jenny,  but  the  two  hundred 
francs  to  the  servants — nay  the  six  sous  given  to  the 
waiter  at  the  restaurant,  even  the  money  he  had  spent 
on  the  bunch  of  violets.  The  bouquet  still  hung  in  his 
buttonhole,  faded  and  shrivelled.  What  good  did  it 
do  him?  While  the  sous  which  he  had  paid  for  it — J 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  ORCIVAL  171 

j 

He  did  not  think  of  his  wasted  millions,  but  could  not 
drive  away  the  thought  of  that  wasted  franc ! 

True,  he  might,  if  he  chose,  find  plenty  of  money 
still,  and  easily.  He  had  only  to  return  quietly  to  his 
house,  to  discharge  the  bailiffs,  and  to  resume  the  pos- 
session of  his  remaining  effects.  But  he  would  thus 
confront  the  world,  and  confess  his  terrors  to  have 
overcome  him  at  the  last  moment ;  he  would  have  to 
suffer  glances  more  cruel  than  the  pistol-ball.  The 
world  must  not  be  deceived ;  when  a  man  announces 
that  he  is  going  to  kill  himself — he  must  kill  himself. 

So  Hector  was  going  to  die  because  he  had  said  he 
would,  because  the  newspapers  had  announced  the 
fact.  He  confessed  this  to  himself  as  he  went  along, 
and  bitterly  reproached  himself. 

He  remembered  a  pretty  spot  in  Viroflay  forest, 
where  he  had  once  fought  a  duel;  he  would  commit 
the  deed  there.  He  hastened  toward  it.  The  weather 
was  fine,  and  he  met  many  groups  of  young  people 
going  into  the  country  for  a  good 'time.  Workmen 
were  drinking  and  clinking  their  glasses  under  the 
trees  along  the  river-bank.  All  seemed  happy  and 
contented,  and  their  gayety  seemed  to  insult  Hector's 
wretchedness.  He  left  the  main  road  at  the  Sevres 
bridge,  and  descending  the  embankment  reached  the 
borders  of  the  Seine.  Kneeling  down,  he  took  up 
some  water  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  and  drank — an  in- 
vincible lassitude  crept  over  him.  He  sat,  or  rather 
fell,  upon  the  sward.  The  fever  of  despair  came,  and 
death  now  seemed  to  him  a  refuge,  which  he  could  al- 
most welcome  with  joy.  Some  feet  above  him  the 
windows  of  a  Sevres  restaurant  opened  toward  the 
river.  He  could  be  seen  from  them,  as  well  as  from 


172        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

the  bridge;  but  he  did  not  mind  this,  nor  anything 
else. 

"  As  well  here  as  elsewhere,"  he  said  to  himself. 

He  had  just  drawn  his  pistol  out,  when  he  heard 
someone  call : 

"Hector!     Hector!" 

He  jumped  up  at  a  bound,  concealed  the  pistol,  and 
looked  about.  A  man  was  running  down  the  embank- 
ment toward  him  with  outstretched  arms.  This  was  a 
man  of  his  own  age,  rather  stout,  but  well  shaped,  with 
a  fine  open  face  and  large  black  eyes  in  which  one  read 
frankness  and  good-nature ;  one  of  those  men  who  are 
sympathetic  at  first  sight,  whom  one  loves  on  a  week's 
acquaintance. 

Hector  recognized  him.  it  was  his  oldest  friend,  a 
college  mate ;  they  had  once  been  very  intimate,  but 
the  count  not  finding  the  other  fast  enough  for  him, 
had  little  by  little  dropped  his  intimacy,  and  had  now 
lost  sight  of  him  for  two  years. 

"  Sauvresy !  "  he  exclaimed,  stupefied. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  young  man,  hot,  and  out  of  breath, 
"  I've  been  watching  you  the  last  two  minutes ;  what 
were  you  doing  here?  " 

"  Why— nothing." 

"  How !  What  they  told  me  at  your  house  this 
morning  was  true,  then !  I  went  there." 

"What  did  they  say?" 

"  That  nobody  knew  what  had  become  of  you,  and 
that  you  declared  to  Jenny  when  you  left  her  the  night 
before  that  you  were  going  to  blow  your  brains  out. 
The  papers  have  already  announced  your  death,  with 
details." 

This  news  seemed  to  have  a  great  effect  on  the 
count. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        173 

"  You  see,  then,"  he  answered  tragically,  "  that  I 
must  kill  myself !  " 

"  Why  ?  In  order  to  save  the  papers  from  the  in- 
convenience of  correcting  their  error  ?  " 

"  People  will  say  that  I  shrunk " 

"  Oh,  'pon  my  word  now !  According  to  you,  a 
man  must  make  a  fool  of  himself  because  it  has  been 
reported  that  he  would  do  it.  Absurd,  old  fellow. 
What  do  you  want  to  kill  yourself  for  ?  " 

Hector  reflected;  he  almost  saw  the  possibility  of 
living. 

"  I  am  ruined,"  answered  he,  sadly. 

"  And  it's  for  this  that — stop,  my  friend,  let  me  tell 
you,  you  are  an  ass!  Ruined!  It's  a  misfortune, 
but  when  a  man  is  of  your  age  he  rebuilds  his  fortune. 
Besides,  you  aren't  as  ruined  as  you  say,  because  I've 
got  an  income  of  a  hundred  thousand  francs." 

"  A  hundred  thousand  francs " 

"  Well,  my  fortune  is  in  land,  which  brings  in  about 
four  per  cent." 

Tremorel  knew  that  his  friend  was  rich,  but  not  that 
he  was  as  rich  as  this.  He  answered  with  a  tinge  of 
envy  in  his  tone : 

"  Well,  I  had  more  than  that ;  but  I  had  no  break- 
fast this  morning." 

"  And  you  did  not  tell  me !  But  true,  you  are  in  a 
pitiable  state  ;  come  along,  quick !  " 

And  he  led  him  toward  the  restaurant. 

Tremorel  reluctantly  followed  this  friend,  who  had 
just  saved  his  life.  He  was  conscious  of  having  been 
surprised  in  a  distressingly  ridiculous  situation.  If  a 
man  who  is  resolved  to  blow  his  brains  out  is  accosted, 
he  presses  the  trigger,  he  doesn't  conceal  his  pistol. 
There  was  one  alone,  among  all  his  friends,  who  loved 


174        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

him  enough  not  to  see  the  ludicrousness  of  his  posi- 
tion; one  alone  generous  enough  not  to  torture  him 
with  raillery ;  it  was  Sauvresy. 

But  once  seated  before  a  well-filled  table,  Hector 
could  not  preserve  his  rigidity.  He  felt  the  joyous  ex- 
pansion of  spirit  which  follows  assured  safety  after 
terrible  peril.  He  was  himself,  young  again,  once 
more  strong.  He  told  Sauvresy  everything;  his  vain 
boasting,  his  terror  at  the  last  moment,  his  agony  at 
the  hotel,  his  fury,  remorse,  and  anguish  at  the  pawn- 
broker's. 

"  Ah !  "  said  he.  "  You  have  saved  me !  You  are 
my  friend,  my  only  friend,  my  brother." 

They  talked  for  more  than  two  hours. 

"  Come,"  said  Sauvresy  at  last,  "  let  us  arrange  our 
plans.  You  want  to  disappear  awhile ;  I  see  that. 
But  to-night  you  must  write  four  lines  to  the  papers. 
To-morrow  I  propose  to  take  your  affairs  in  hand, 
that's  a  thing  I  know  how  to  do.  I  don't  know  exactly 
how  you  stand ;  but  I  will  agree  to  save  something 
from  the  wreck.  We've  got  money,  you  see;  your 
creditors  will  be  easy  with  us." 

"  But  where  shall  I  go  ?  "  asked  Hector,  whom  the 
mere  idea  of  isolation  terrified. 

"  What  ?  You'll  come  home  with  me,  parbleu,  to 
Valfeuillu.  Don't  you  know  that  I  am  married  ?  Ah, 
my  friend,  a  happier  man  than  I  does  not  exist !  I've 
married — for  love — the  loveliest  and  best  of  women. 
You  will  be  a  brother  to  us.  But  come,  my  carnage 
is  right  here  near  the  door." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        175 


XIV 

M.  Plantat  stopped.  His  companions  had  not  suf- 
fered a  gesture  or  a  word  to  interrupt  him.  M.  Lecoq, 
as  he  listened,  reflected.  He  asked  himself  where  M. 
Plantat  could  have  got  all  these  minute  details.  Who 
had  written  Tremorel's  terrible  biography?  As  he 
glanced  at  the  papers  from  which  Plantat  read,  he  saw 
that  they  were  not  all  in  the  same  handwriting. 
The  old  justice  of  the  peace  pursued  the  story : 
Bertha  Lechaillu,  though  by  an  unhoped-for  piece 
of  good  fortune  she  had  become  Madame  Sauvresy, 
did  not  love  her  husband.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
poor  country  school-master,  whose  highest  ambition 
had  been  to  be  an  assistant  teacher  in  a  Versailles 
school ;  yet  she  was  not  now  satisfied.  Absolute  queen 
of  one  of  the  finest  domains  in  the  land,  surrounded 
by  every  luxury,  spending  as  she  pleased,  beloved, 
adored,  she  was  not  content.  Her  life,  so  well  regu- 
lated, so  constantly  smooth,  without  annoyances  and 
disturbance,  seemed  to  her  insipid.  There  were  always 
the  same  monotonous  pleasures,  always  recurring  each 
in  its  season.  There  were  parties  and  receptions,  horse 
rides,  hunts,  drives — and  it  was  always  thus !  Alas,  this 
was  not  the  life  she  had  dreamed  of ;  she  was  born  for 
more  exciting  pleasures.  She  yearned  for  unknown 
emotions  and  sensations,  the  unforeseen,  abrupt  transi- 
tions, passions,  adventures.  She  had  not  liked  Sau- 
vresy  from  the  first  day  she  saw  him,  and  her  secret 
aversion  to  him  increased  in  proportion  as  her  influ- 
ence over  him  grew  more  certain.  She  thought  him 
common,  vulgar,  ridiculous.  She  thought  the  simplic- 
ity of  his  manners,  silliness.  She  looked  at  him,  and 


1 76        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

saw  nothing  in  him  to  admire.  She  did  not  listen  to 
him  when  he  spoke,  having  already  decided  in  her 
wisdom  that  he  could  say  nothing  that  was  not  tedious 
or  commonplace.  She  was  angry  that  he  had  not  been 
a  wild  young  man,  the  terror  of  his  family. 

He  had,  however,  done  as  other  young  men  do.  He 
had  gone  to  Paris  and  tried  the  sort  of  life  which  his 
friend  Tremorel  led.  He  had  enough  of  it  in  six 
months,  and  hastily  returned  to  Valfeuillu,  to  rest  after 
such  laborious  pleasures.  The  experience  cost  him  a 
hundred  thousand  francs,  but  he  said  he  did  not  regret 
purchasing  it  at  this  price. 

Bertha  was  wearied  with  the  constancy  and  adora- 
tion of  her  husband.  She  had  only  to  express  a  desire 
to  be  at  once  obeyed,  and  this  blind  submission  to  all 
her  wishes  appeared  to  her  servile  in  a  man.  A  man  is 
born,  she  thought,  to  command,  and  not  to  obey ;  to 
be  master,  and  not  slave.  She  would  have  preferred 
a  husband  who  would  come  in  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  still  warm  from  his  orgy,  having  lost  at  play, 
and  who  would  strike  her  if  she  upbraided  him.  A  ty- 
rant, but  a  man.  Some  months  after  her  marriage  she 
suddenly  took  it  into  her  head  to  have  absurd  freaks 
and  extravagant  caprices.  She  wished  to  prove  him, 
and  see  how  far  his  constant  complacence  would  go. 
She  thought  she  would  tire  him  out.  It  was  intolerable 
to  feel  absolutely  sure  of  her  husband,  to  know  that  she 
so  filled  his  heart  that  he  had  room  for  no  other,  to 
have  nothing  to  fear,  not  even  the  caprice  of  an  hour. 
Perhaps  there  was  yet  more  than  this  in  Bertha's  aver- 
sion. She  knew  herself,  and  confessed  to  herself  that 
had  Sauvresy  wished,  she  would  have  been  his  without 
being  his  wife.  She  was  so  lonely  at  her  father's,  so 
wretched  in  her  poverty,  that  she  would  have  fled  from 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        17? 

her  home,  even  for  this.  And  she  despised  her  husband 
because  he  had  not  despised  her  enough ! 

People  were  always  telling  her  that  she  was  the  hap- 
piest of  women.  Happy !  And  there  were  days  when 
she  wept  when  she  thought  that  she  was  married. 
Happy!  There  were  times  when  she  longed  to  fly, 
to  seek  adventure  and  pleasure,  all  that  she  yearned  for, 
what  she  had  not  had  and  never  would  have.  The  fear 
of  poverty — which  she  knew  well — restrained  her. 
This  fear  was  caused  in  part  by  a  wise  precaution 
which  her  father,  recently  dead,  had  taken.  Sauvresy 
wished  to  insert  in  the  marriage-contract  a  settlement 
of  five  hundred  thousand  francs  on  his  affianced.  The 
worthy  Lechaillu  had  opposed  this  generous  act. 

"  My  daughter,"  he  said,  "  brings  you  nothing. 
Settle  forty  thousand  francs  on  her  if  you  will,  not  a 
sou  more ;  otherwise  there  shall  be  no  marriage." 

As  Sauvresy  insisted,  the  old  man  added : 

"  I  hope  that  she  will  be  a  good  and  worthy  wife ; 
if  so,  your  fortune  will  be  hers.  But  if  she  is  not,  forty 
thousand  francs  will  be  none  too  little  for  her.  Of 
course,  if  you  are  afraid  that  you  will  die  first,  you  can 
make  a  will." 

Sauvresy  was  forced  to  yield.  Perhaps  the  worthy 
school-master  knew  his  daughter;  if  so  he  was  the 
only  one.  Never  did  so  consummate  a  hypocrisy  min- 
ister to  so  profound  a  perversity,  and  a  depravity  so 
inconceivable  in  a  young  and  seemingly  innocent  girl. 
If,  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart,  she  thought  herself  the 
most  wretched  of  women,  there  was  nothing  of  it  ap- 
parent— it  was  a  well-kept  secret.  She  knew  how  to 
show  to  her  husband,  in  place  of  the  love  she  did  not 
feel,  the  appearance  of  a  passion  at  once  burning  and 


1 78        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

modest,  betraying  furtive  glances  and  a  flush  as  of 
pleasure,  when  he  entered  the  room. 

All  the  world  said : 

"  Bertha  is  foolishly  fond  of  her  husband." 

Sauvresy  was  sure  of  it,  and  he  was  the  first  to  say, 
not  caring  to  conceal  his  joy : 

"  My  wife  adores  me." 

Such  were  man  and  wife  at  Valfeuillu  when  Sau- 
vresy found  Tremorel  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine  with 
a  pistol  in  his  hand.  Sauvresy  missed  his  dinner  that 
evening  for  the  first  time  since  his  marriage,  though 
he  had  promised  to  be  prompt,  and  the  meal  was  kept 
waiting  for  him.  Bertha  might  have  been  anxious 
about  this  delay ;  she  was  only  indignant  at  what  she 
called  inconsiderateness.  She  was  asking  herself  how 
she  should  punish  her  husband,  when,  at  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  the  drawing-room  door  was  abruptly  thrown 
open,  and  Sauvresy  stood  smiling  upon  the  threshold. 

"  Bertha,"  said  he,  "  I've  brought  you  an  appari- 
tion." 

She  scarcely  deigned  to  raise  her  head.  Sauvresy 
continued : 

"  An  apparition  whom  you  know,  of  whom  I  have 
often  spoken  to  you,  whom  you  will  like  because  I 
love  him,  and  because  he  is  my  oldest  comrade,  my 
best  friend." 

And  standing  aside,  he  gently  pushed  Hector  into 
the  room. 

"  Madame  Sauvresy,  permit  me  to  present  to  you 
Monsieur  the  Count  de  Tremorel." 

Bertha  rose  suddenly,  blushing,  confused,  agitated 
by  an  indefinable  emotion,  as  if  she  saw  in  reality  an 
apparition.  For  "Jie  first  time  in  her  life  she  was 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        179 

abashed,  and  did  not  dare  to  raise  her  large,  clear  blue 
eyes. 

"  Monsieur,"  she  stammered,  "  you  are  welcome." 

She  knew  Tremorel's  name  well.  Sauvresy  had 
often  mentioned  it,  and  she  had  seen  it  often  in  the  , 
papers,  and  had  heard  it  in  the  drawing-rooms  of  all  j 
her  friends.  He  who  bore  it  seemed  to  her,  after  what 
she  had  heard,  a  great  personage.  He  was,  according 
to  his  reputation,  a  hero  of  another  age,  a  social  Don 
Quixote,  a  terribly  fast  man  of  the  world.  He  was  one 
of  those  men  whose  lives  astonish  common  people, 
whom  the  well-to-do  citizen  thinks  faithless  and  law- 
less, whose  extravagant  passions  overleap  the  narrow 
bounds  of  social  prejudice ;  a  man  who  tyrannizes  over 
others,  whom  all  fear,  who  fights  on  the  slightest  prov- 
ocation, who  scatters  gold  with  a  prodigal  hand,  whose 
iron  health  resists  the  most  terrible  excesses.  She  had 
often  in  her  miserable  reveries  tried  to  imagine  what 
kind  of  man  this  Count  de  Tremorel  was.  She  award- 
ed him  with  such  qualities  as  she  desired  for  her  fan- 
cied hero,  with  whom  she  could  fly  from  her  husband 
in  search  of  new  adventures.  And  now,  of  a  sudden, 
he  appeared  before  her. 

"  Give  Hector  your  hand,  dear,"  said  Sauvresy. 

She   held   out   her  hand,   which  Tremorel   lightly 
^pressed,  and  his  touch  seemed  to  give  her  an  electric 
shock. 

Sauvresy  threw  himself  into  an  arm-chair. 

"  You  see,  Bertha,"  said  he,  "  our  friend  Hector  is 
exhausted  with  the  life  he  has  been  leading.  He  has 
been  advised  to  rest,  and  has  come  to  seek  it  here,  with 
us." 

"  But,  dear,"  responded  Bertha,  "  aren't  you  afraid 
that  the  count  will  be  bored  a  little  here  ?  " 


i8o        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"Why?" 

"  Valfeuillu  is  very  quiet,  and  we  are  but  dull  coun- 
try folks." 

Bertha  talked  for  the  sake  of  talking,  to  break  a  si- 
lence which  embarrassed  her,  to  make  Tremorel  speak, 
and  hear  his  voice.  As  she  talked  she  observed  him, 
and  studied  the  impression  she  made  on  him.  Her 
radiant  beauty  usually  struck  those  who  saw  her  for  the 
first  time  with  open  admiration.  He  remained  impas- 
sible. She  recognized  the  worn-out  rake  of  title,  the 
fast  man  who  has  tried,  experienced,  exhausted  all 
things,  in  his  coldness  and  superb  indifference.  And 
because  he  did  not  admire  her  she  admired  him  the 
more. 

"  What  a  difference,"  thought  she,  "  between  him 
and  that  vulgar  Sauvresy,  who  is  surprised  at  every- 
thing, whose  face  shows  all  that  he  thinks,  whose  eye 
betrays  what  he  is  going  to  say  before  he  opens  his 
mouth." 

Bertha  was  mistaken.  Hector  was  not  as  cold  and 
indifferent  as  she  imagined.  He  was  simply  wearied, 
utterly  exhausted.  He  could  scarcely  sit  up  after  the 
terrible  excitements  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  He 
soon  asked  permission  to  retire.  Sauvresy,  when  left 
alone  with  his  wife,  told  her  all  that  happened,  and  the 
events  which  resulted  in  Tremorel's  coming  to  Val- 
feuillu ;  but  like  a  true  friend  omitted  everything  that 
would  cast  ridicule  upon  his  old  comrade. 

"  He's  a  big  child,"  said  he,  "  a  foolish  fellow,  whose 
brain  is  weak;  but  we'll  take  care  of  him  and  cure 
him." 

Bertha  never  listened  to  her  husband  so  attentively 
before.  She  seemed  to  agree  with  him,  but  she  really 
admired  Tremorel.  Like  Jenny,  she  was  struck  with 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        181 

the  heroism  which  could  squander  a  fortune  and  then 
commit  suicide. 

"  Ah !  "  sighed  she,  "  Sauvresy  would  not  have  done 
it!" 

No,  Sauvresy  was  quite  a  different  man  from  the 
Count  de  Tremorel.  The  next  day  he  declared  his  in- 
tention to  adjust  his  friend's  affairs.  Hector  had  slept 
well,  having  spent  the  night  on  an  excellent  bed,  un- 
disturbed by  pressing  anxieties;  and  he  appeared  in 
the  morning  sleek  and  well-dressed,  the  disorder  and 
desperation  of  the  previous  evening  having  quite  dis- 
appeared. He  had  a  nature  not  deeply  impressible  by 
events ;  twenty-four  hours  consoled  him  for  the  worst 
catastrophes,  and  he  soon  forgot  the  severest  lessons 
of  life.  If  Sauvresy  had  bid  him  begone,  he  would  not 
have  known  where  to  go ;  yet  he  had  already  resumed 
the  haughty  carelessness  of  the  millionnaire,  accus- 
tomed to  bend  men  and  circumstances  to  his  will.  He 
was  once  more  calm  and  cold,  coolly  joking,  as  if  years 
had  passed  since  that  night  at  the  hotel,  and  as  if  all 
the  disasters  to  his  fortune  had  been  repaired.  Ber- 
tha was  amazed  at  this  tranquillity  after  such  great  re- 
verses, and  thought  this  childish  recklessness  force  of 
character. 

"  Now,"  said  Sauvresy,  "  as  I've  become  your  man 
of  business,  give  me  my  instructions,  and  some  valua- 
ble hints.  What  is,  or  was,  the  amount  of  your  fort- 
une?" 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

Sauvresy  provided  himself  with  a  pencil  and  a  large 
sheet  of  paper,  ready  to  set  down  the  figures.  He 
seemed  a  little  surprised. 

"  All  right,"  said  he,  "  we'll  put  x  down  as  the  un- 
known quantity  of  the  assets  ;  now  for  the  liabilities. 


i82        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Hector  made  a  superbly  disdainful  gesture. 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure,  what  they  are." 

"  What,  can't  you  give  a  rough  guess  ?  " 

"  Oh,  perhaps.    For  instance,  I  owe  between  five  and 
six  hundred  thousand  francs  to  Clair  &  Co.,  five  hun- 
dred thousand  to  Dervoy ;  about  as  much  to  Dubois,  \ 
of  Orleans " 

"Well?" 

"  I  can't  remember  any  more." 

"  But  you  must  have  a  memorandum  of  your  loans 
somewhere?  " 

"  No." 

"  You  have  at  least  kept  your  bonds,  bills,  and  the 
sums  of  your  various  debts  ?  " 

"  None  of  them.  I  burnt  up  all  my  papers  yester- 
day." 

Sauvresy  jumped  up  from  his  chair  in  astonishment ; 
such  a  method  of  doing  business  seemed  to  him  mon- 
strous ;  he  could  not  suppose  that  Hector  was  lying. 
Yet  he  was  lying,  and  this  affectation  of  ignorance  was 
a  conceit  of  the  aristocratic  man  of  the  world.  It  was 
very  noble,  very  distingue,  to  ruin  one's  self  without 
knowing  how ! 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,"  cried  Sauvresy,  "  how  can 
we  clear  up  your  affairs  ?  " 

"  Oh,  don't  clear  them  up  at  all ;  do  as  I  do — let  the 
creditors  act  as  they  please,  they  will  know  how  to  set- 
tle it  all,  rest  assured ;  let  them  sell  out  my  property." 

"  Never !     Then  you  would  be  ruined,  indeed !  " 

"  Well,  it's  only  a  little  more  or  a  little  less." 

"  What  splendid  disinterestedness !  "  thought  Ber- 
tha ;  "  what  coolness,  what  admirable  contempt  of 
money,  what  noble  disdain  of  the  petty  details  which 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        183 

annoy  common  people !  Was  Sauvresy  capable  of  all 
this?" 

She  could  not  at  least  accuse  him  of  avarice,  since  for 
her  he  was  as  prodigal  as  a  thief ;  he  had  never  refused 
her  anything" ;  he  anticipated  her  most  extravagant  fan- 
cies. Still  he  had  a  strong  appetite  for  gain,  and  de- 
spite his  large  fortune,  he  retained  the  hereditary 
respect  for  money.  When  he  had  business  with  one 
of  his  farmers,  he  would  rise  very  early,  mount  his 
horse,  though  it  were  mid-winter,  and  go  several 
leagues  in  the  snow  to  get  a  hundred  crowns.  He 
would  have  ruined  himself  for  her  if  she  had  willed  it, 
this  she  was  convinced  of;  but  he  would  have  ruined 
himself  economically,  in  an  orderly  way. 

Sauvresy  reflected. 

"  You  are  right,"  said  he  to  Hector,  "  your  creditors 
ought  to  know  your  exact  position.  Who  knows  that 
they  are  not  acting  in  concert?  Their  simultaneous 
refusal  to  lend  you  a  hundred  thousand  makes  me  sus- 
pect it.  I  will  go  and  see  them." 

"  Clair  &  Co.,  from  whom  I  received  my  first  loans, 
ought  to  be  the  best  informed." 

"  Well,  I  will  see  Clair  &  Co.  But  look  here,  do  you 
know  what  you  would  do  if  you  were  reasonable  ?  " 

"What?" 

"  You  would  go  to  Paris  with  me,  and  both  of 
us " 

Hector  turned  very  pale,  and  his  eyes  shone. 

"  Never!  "  he  interrupted,  violently,  "  never!  " 

His  "  dear  friends  "  still  terrified  him.  What !  Re- 
appear on  the  theatre  of  his  glory,  now  that  he  was 
fallen,  ruined,  ridiculous  by  his  unsuccessful  suicide? 
Sauvresy  had  held  out  his  arms  to  him.  Sauvresy  was 
a  noble  fellow,  and  loved  Hector  sufficiently  not  to  per- 


i84        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

ceive  the  falseness  of  his  position,  and  not  to  judge  him 
a  coward  because  he  shrank  from  suicide.  But  the 
others ! 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  about  Paris,"  said  he  in  a  calmer 
tone.  "  I  shall  never  set  my  foot  in  it  again." 

"  All  right — so  much  the  better ;  stay  with  us ;  I 
sha'n't  complain  of  it,  nor  my  wife  either.  Some  fine 
day  we'll  find  you  a  pretty  heiress  in  the  neighborhood. 
But,"  added  Sauvresy,  consulting  his  watch,  "  I  must 
go  if  I  don't  want  to  lose  the  train." 

"  I'll  go  to  the  station  with  you,"  said  Tremorel. 

This  was  not  solely  from  a  friendly  impulse.  He 
wanted  to  ask  Sauvresy  to  look  after  the  articles  left 
at  the  pawnbroker's  in  the  Rue  de  Conde,  and  to  call 
on  Jenny.  Bertha,  from  her  window,  followed  with 
her  eyes  the  two  friends,  who,  with  arms  interlocked, 
ascended  the  road  toward  Orcival.  "  What  a  differ- 
ence," thought  she,  "  between  these  two  men !  My 
husband  said  he  wished  to  be  his  friend's  steward  ;  truly 
he  has  the  air  of  a  steward.  What  a  noble  gait  the 
count  has,  what  youthful  ease,  what  real  distinction ! 
And  yet  I'm  sure  that  my  husband  despises  him,  be- 
cause he  has  ruined  himself  by  dissipation.  He  af- 
fected— I  saw  it — an  air  of  protection.  Poor  youth ! 
But  everything  about  the  count  betrays  an  innate  or 
acquired  superiority ;  even  his  name,  Hector — how  it 
sounds !  "  And  she  repeated  "  Hector  "  several  times, 
as  if  it  pleased  her,  adding,  contemptuously,  "  My  hus- 
band's name  is  Clement !  " 

M.  de  Tremorel  returned  alone  from  the  station,  as 
gayly  as  a  convalescent  taking  his  first  airing.  As  soon 
as  Bertha  saw  him  she  left  the  window.  She  wished 
to  remain  alone,  to  reflect  upon  this  event  which 
had  happened  so  suddenly,  to  analyze  her  sensations, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        185 

listen  to  her  presentiments,  study  her  impressions  and 
decide,  if  possible,  upon  her  line  of  conduct.  She  only 
reappeared  when  the  tea  was  set  for  her  husband,  who 
returned  at  eleven  in  the  evening.  Sauvresy  was  faint 
from  hunger,  thirst,  and  fatigue,  but  his  face  glowed 
with  satisfaction. 

"  Victory ! "  exclaimed  he,  as  he  ate  his  soup. 
"  We'll  snatch  you  from  the  hands  of  the  Philistines 
yet.  Parbleu !  The  finest  feathers  of  your  plumage 
will  remain,  after  all,  and  you  will  be  able  to  save 
enough  for  a  good  cosey  nest." 

Bertha  glanced  at  her  husband. 

"  How  is  that  ?  "  said  she. 

"  It's  very  simple.  At  the  very  first,  I  guessed  the 
game  of  our  friend's  creditors.  They  reckoned  on  get- 
ting a  sale  of  his  effects ;  would  have  bought  them  in  a 
lump  dirt  cheap,  as  it  always  happens,  and  then  sold 
them  in  detail,  dividing  the  profits  of  the  operation." 

"  And  can  you  prevent  that  ?  "  asked  Tremorel,  in- 
credulously. 

"  Certainly.  Ah,  I've  completely  checkmated  these 
gentlemen.  I've  succeeded  by  chance — I  had  the  good 
luck  to  get  them  all  together  this  evening.  I  said  to 
them,  you'll  let  us  sell  this  property  as  we  please,  volun- 
tarily, or  I'll  outbid  you  all,  and  spoil  your  cards.  They 
looked  at  me  in  amazement.  My  notary,  who  was 
with  me,  remarked  that  I  was  Monsieur  Sauvresy, 
worth  two  millions.  Our  gentlemen  opened  their  eyes 
very  wide,  and  consented  to  grant  my  request." 

Hector,  notwithstanding  what  he  had  said,  knew 
enough  about  his  affairs  to  see  that  this  action  would 
save  him  a  fortune — a  small  one,  as  compared  with 
what  he  had  possessed,  yet  a  fortune. 

The  certainty  of  this  delighted  him,  and  moved  by 


i86        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

a  momentary  and  sincere  gratitude,  he  grasped  both  of 
Sauvresy's  hands  in  his. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,"  cried  he,  "  you  give  me  my  honor, 
after  saving  my  life !  How  can  I  ever  repay  you  ?  " 

"  By  committing  no  imprudences  or  foolishnesses, 
except  reasonable  ones.  Such  as  this,"  added  Sauvresy, 
leaning  toward  Bertha  and  embracing  her, 

"  And  there  is  nothing  more  to  fear?  " 

"  Nothing !  Why  I  could  have  borrowed  the  two 
millions  in  an  hour,  and  they  knew  it.  But  that's  not 
all.  The  search  for  you  is  suspended.  I  went  to  your 
house,  took  the  responsibility  of  sending  away  all  your 
servants  except  your  valet  and  a  groom.  If  you  agree, 
we'll  send  the  horses  to  be  sold  to-morrow,  and  they'll 
fetch  a  good  price;  your  own  saddle-horse  shall  be 
brought  here." 

These  details  annoyed  Bertha.  She  thought  her 
husband  exaggerated  his  services,  carrying  them  even 
to  servility. 

"  Really,"  thought  she,  "  he  was  born  to  be  a  stew- 
ard." 

"  Do  you  know  what  else  I  did  ? "  pursued  Sau- 
vresy. "  Thinking  that  perhaps  you  were  in  want  of  a 
wardrobe,  I  had  three  or  four  trunks  filled  with  your 
clothes,  sent  them  out  by  rail,  and  one  of  the  servants 
has  just  gone  after  them." 

Hector,  too,  began  to  find  Sauvresy's  services  ex- 
cessive, and  thought  he  treated  him  too  much  like  a 
child  who  could  foresee  nothing.  The  idea  of  having 
it  said  before  a  woman  that  he  was  in  want  of  clothes 
irritated  him.  He  forgot  that  he  had  found  it  a  very 
simple  thing  in  the  morning  to  ask  his  friend  for  some 
linen. 

Just  then  a  noise  was  heard  in  the  vestibule.  Doubt- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        187 

less  the  trunks  had  come.  Bertha  went  out  to  give  the 
necessary  orders. 

"  Quick !  "  cried  Sauvresy.  "  Now  that  we  are 
alone,  here  are  your  trinkets.  I  had  some  trouble  in 
getting  them.  They  are  suspicious  at  the  pawnbrok- 
er's. I  think  they  began  to  suspect  that  I  was  one  of  a 
band  of  thieves." 

"  You  didn't  mention  my  name,  did  you  ?  " 

"  That  would  have  been  useless.  My  notary  was 
with  me,  fortunately.  One  never  knows  how  useful 
one's  notary  may  be.  Don't  you  think  society  is  un- 
just toward  notaries  ?  "  % 

Tremorel  thought  his  friend  talked  very  lightly  about 
a  serious  matter,  and  this  flippancy  vexed  him. 

"  To  finish  up,  I  paid  a  visit  to  Miss  Jenny.  She 
has  been  abed  since  last  evening,  and  her  chambermaid 
told  me  she  had  not  ceased  sobbing  bitterly  ever  since 
your  departure." 

"  Had  she  seen  no  one?  " 

"  Nobody  at  all.  She  really  thought  you  dead,  and 
when  I  told  her  you  were  here  with  me,  alive  and  well, 
I  thought  she  would  go  mad  for  joy.  Do  you  know, 
Hector,  she's  really  pretty." 

"  Yes— not  bad." 

"  And  a  very  good  little  body,  I  imagine.  She  told 
me  some  very  touching  things.  I  would  wager,  my 
friend,  that  she  don't  care  so  much  for  your  money  as 
she  does  for  yourself." 

Hector  smiled  superciliously. 

"  In  short,  she  was  anxious  to  follow  me,  to  see  and 
speak  to  you.  I  had  to  swear  with  terrible  oaths  that 
she  should  see  you  to-morrow,  before  she  would  let 
me  go ;  not  at  Paris,  as  you  said  you  would  never  go 
there,  but  at  Corbeil." 


i88        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Ah,  as  for  that " 

"  She  will  be  at  the  station  to-morrow  at  twelve.  We 
will  go  down  together,  and  I  will  take  the  train  for 
Paris.  You  can  get  into  the  Corbeil  train,  and  break- 
fast with  Miss  Jenny  at  the  hotel  of  the  Belle  Image." 

Hector  began  to  offer  an  objection.  Sauvresy 
stopped  him  with  a  gesture. 

"  Not  a  word,"  said  he.    "  Here  is  my  wife." 


XV 

On  going  to  bed,  that  night,  the  count  was  less 
enchanted  than  ever  with  the  devotion  of  his  friend 
Sauvresy.  There  is  not  a  diamond  on  which  a  spot 
cannot  be  found  with  a  microscope. 

"  Here  he  is,"  thought  he,  "  abusing  his  privileges 
as  the  saver  of  my  life.  Can't  a  man  do  you  a  service, 
without  continually  making  you  feel  it?  It  seems  as 
though  because  he  prevented  me  from  blowing  my 
brains  out,  I  had  somehow  become  something  that  be- 
longs to  him !  He  came  very  near  upbraiding  me  for 
Jenny's  extravagance.  Where  will  he  stop  ?  " 

The  next  day  at  breakfast  he  feigned  indisposition 
so  as  not  to  eat,  and  suggested  to  Sauvresy  that  he 
would  lose  the  train. 

Bertha,  as  on  the  evening  before,  crouched  at  the 
window  to  see  them  go  away.  Her  troubles  during 
the  past  eight-and-forty  hours  had  been  so  great  that 
she  hardly  recognized  herself.  She  scarcely  dared  to 
reflect  or  to  descend  to  the  depths  of  her  heart.  What 
mysterious  power  did  this  man  possess,  to  so  violently 
affect  her  life  ?  She  wished  that  he  would  go,  never  to 
return,  while  at  the  same  time  she  avowed  to  herself 
that  in  going  he  would  carry  with  him  all  her  thoughts. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        189 

She  struggled  under  the  charm,  not  knowing  whether 
she  ought  to  rejoice  or  grieve  at  the  inexpressible  emo- 
tions which  agitated  her,  being  irritated  to  submit  to 
an  influence  stronger  than  her  own  will. 

She  decided  that  to-day  she  would  go  down  to  the 
drawing-room.  He  would  not  fail — were  it  only  for 
politeness — to  go  in  there ;  and  then,  she  thought,  by 
seeing  him  nearer,  talking  with  him,  knowing  him  bet- 
ter, his  influence  over  her  would  vanish.  Doubtless  he 
would  return,  and  so  she  watched  for  him,  ready  to  go 
down  as  soon  as  she  saw  him  approaching.  She  waited 
with  feverish  shudderings,  anxiously  believing  that 
this  first  tete-a-tete  in  her  husband's  absence  would  be 
decisive.  Time  passed ;  it  was  more  than  two  hours 
since  he  had  gone  out  with  Sauvresy,  and  he  had  not 
reappeared.  Where  could  he  be? 

At  this  moment,  Hector  was  awaiting  Jenny  at  the 
Corbeil  station.  The  train  arrived,  and  Jenny  soon 
appeared.  Her  grief,  joy,  emotion  had  not  made  her 
forget  her  toilet,  and  never  had  she  been  so  rollicking- 
ly  elegant  and  pretty.  She  wore  a  green  dress  with  a 
train,  a  velvet  mantle,  and  the  jauntiest  little  hat  in  the 
world.  As  soon  as  she  saw  Hector  standing  near  the 
door,  she  uttered  a  cry,  pushed  the  people  aside,  and 
rushed  into  his  arms,  laughing  and  crying  at  the  same 
time.  She  spoke  quite  loud,  with  wild  gestures,  so 
that  everyone  could  hear  what  she  said. 

"  You  didn't  kill  yourself,  after  all,"  said  she.  "  Oh, 
how  I  have  suffered;  but  what  happiness  I  feel  to- 
day!" 

Tremorel  struggled  with  her  as  he  could,  trying  to 
calm  her  enthusiastic  exclamations,  softly  repelling 
her,  charmed  and  irritated  at  once,  and  exasperated  at 
all  these  eyes  rudely  fixed  on  him.  For  none  of  the 


1 90        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

passengers  had  gone  out.  They  were  all  there,  staring 
and  gazing.  Hector  and  Jenny  were  surrounded  by 
a  circle  of  curious  folks. 

"  Come  along,"  said  Hector,  his  patience  exhausted. 

He  drew  her  out  of  the  door,  hoping  to  escape  this 
prying  curiosity ;  but  he  did  not  succeed.  They  were 
persistently  followed.  Some  of  the  Corbeil  people  who 
were  on  the  top  of  the  omnibus  begged  the  conductor 
to  walk  his  horses,  that  this  singular  couple  might  not 
be  lost  to  view,  and  the  horses  did  not  get  into  a  trot 
until  they  had  disappeared  in  the  hotel. 

Sauvresy's  foresight  in  recommending  the  place  of 
meeting  had  thus  been  disconcerted  by  Jenny's  sensa- 
tional arrival.  Questions  were  asked ;  the  hostess  was 
adroitly  interrogated,  and  it  was  soon  known  that  this 
person,  who  waited  for  eccentric  young  ladies  at  the 
Corbeil  station,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  owner  of 
Valfeuillu.  Neither  Hector  nor  Jenny  doubted  that 
they  formed  the  general  topic  of  conversation.  They 
breakfasted  gayly  in  the  best  room  at  the  Belle  Image, 
during  which  Tremorel  recounted  a  very  pretty  story 
about  his  restoration  to  life,  in  which  he  played  a  part, 
the  heroism  of  which  was  well  calculated  to  redouble 
the  little  lady's  admiration.  Then  Jenny  in  her  turn 
unfolded  her  plans  for  the  future,  which  were,  to  do 
her  justice,  most  reasonable.  She  had  resolved  more 
than  ever  to  remain  faithful  to  Hector  now  that  he  was 
ruined,  to  give  up  her  elegant  rooms,  sell  her  furniture, 
and  undertake  some  honest  trade.  She  had  found  one 
of  her  old  friends,  who  was  now  an  accomplished  dress- 
maker, and  who  was  anxious  to  obtain  a  partner  who 
had  some  money,  while  she  herself  furnished  the  expe- 
rience. They  would  purchase  an  establishment  in  the 
Breda  quarter,  and  between  them  could  scarcely  fail 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        191 

to  prosper.  Jenny  talked  with  a  pretty,  knowing,  busi- 
ness-like air,  which  made  Hector  laugh.  These  proj- 
ects seemed  very  comic  to  him ;  yet  he  was  touched 
by  this  unselfishness  on  the  part  of  a  young  and  pretty 
woman,  who  was  willing  to  work  in  order  to  please 
him. 

But,  unhappily,  they  were  forced  to  part.  Jenny  had 
gone  to  Corbeil  intending  to  stay  a  week ;  but  the 
count  told  her  this  was  absolutely  impossible.  She 
cried  bitterly  at  first,  then  got  angry,  and  finally  con- 
soled herself  with  a  plan  to  return  on  the  following 
Tuesday. 

"  Good-by,"  said  she,  embracing  Hector,  "  think  of 
me."  She  smilingly  added,  "  I  ought  to  be  jealous ; 
for  they  say  your  friend's  wife  is  perhaps  the  hand- 
somest woman  in  France.  Is  it  true  ?  " 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  don't  know.  I've  forgotten  to 
look  at  her." 

Hector  told  the  truth.  Although  he  did  not  betray 
it,  he  was  still  under  the  surprise  of  his  chagrin  at  the 
failure  of  his  attempt  at  suicide.  He  felt  the  dizziness 
which  follows  great  moral  crises  as  well  as  a  heavy 
blow  on  the  head,  and  which  distracts  the  attention 
from  exterior  things.  But  Jenny's  words,  "  the  hand- 
somest woman  in  France,"  attracted  his  notice,  and 
he  could,  that  very  evening,  repair  his  forgetfulness. 
When  he  returned  to  Valfeuillu,  his  friend  had  not  re- 
turned; Mme.  Sauvresy  was  alone  reading,  in  the 
brilliantly  lighted  drawing-room.  Hector  seated  him- 
self opposite  her,  a  little  aside,  and  was  thus  able  to 
observe  her  at  his  ease,  while  engaging  her  in  conversa- 
tion. His  first  impression  was  an  unfavorable  one. 
He  found  her  beauty  too  sculptural  and  polished.  He 
sought  for  imperfections,  and  finding  none,  was  almost 


192        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

terrified  by  this  lovely,  motionless  face,  these  clear, 
cold  eyes.  Little  by  little,  however,  he  accustomed 
himself  to  pass  the  greater  part  of  the  afternoon  with 
Bertha,  while  Sauvresy  was  away  arranging  his  affairs 
— selling,  negotiating,  using  his  time  in  cutting  down 
interests  and  discussing  with  agents  and  attorneys. 
He  soon  perceived  that  she  listened  to  him  with  pleas- 
ure, and  he  judged  from  this  that  she  was  a  decidedly 
superior  woman,  much  better  than  her  husband.  He 
had  no  wit,  but  possessed  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  an- 
ecdotes and  adventures.  He  had  seen  so  many  things 
and  known  so  many  people  that  he  was  as  interesting 
as  a  chronicle.  He  had  a  sort  of  frothy  fervor,  not 
wanting  in  brilliancy,  and  a  polite  cynicism  which,  at 
first,  surprised  one.  Had  Bertha  been  unimpassioned, 
she  might  have  judged  him  at  his  value ;  but  she  had 
lost  her  power  of  insight.  She  heard  him,  plunged  in 
a  foolish  ecstasy,  as  one  hears  a  traveller  who  has  re- 
turned from  far  and  dangerous  countries,  who  has  vis- 
ited peoples  of  whose  language  the  hearer  is  ignorant, 
and  lived  in  the  midst  of  manners  and  customs  incom- 
prehensible to  ourselves. 

Days,  weeks,  months  passed  on,  and  the  Count  de 
Tremorel  did  not  find  life  at  Valfeuillu  as  dull  as  he 
had  thought.  He  insensibly  slipped  along  the  gentle 
slope  of  material  well-being,  which  leads  directly  to 
brutishness.  A  physical  and  moral  torpor  had  suc- 
ceeded the  fever  of  the  first  days,  free  from  disagree- 
able sensations,  though  wanting  in  excitement.  He 
ate  and  drank  much,  and  slept  twelve  round  hours. 
The  rest  of  the  time,  when  he  did  not  talk  with  Bertha, 
he  wandered  in  the  park,  lounged  in  a  rocking-chair, 
or  took  a  jaunt  in  the  saddle.  He  even  went  fishing 
under  the  willows  at  the  foot  of  the  garden ;  and  grew 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        193 

fat.  His  best  days  were  those  which  he  spent  at  Cor- 
beil  with  Jenny.  He  found  in  her  something  of  his 
past,  and  she  always  quarrelled  with  him,  which  woke 
him  up.  Besides,  she  brought  him  the  gossip  of  Paris 
and  the  small  talk  of  the  boulevards.  She  'came  regu- 
larly every  week,  and  her  love  for  Hector,  far  from 
diminishing,  seemed  to  grow  with  each  interview. 
The  poor  girl's  affairs  were  in  a  troubled  condition. 
She  had  bought  her  establishment  at  too  high  a  price, 
and  her  partner  at  the  end  of  the  first  month  decamped, 
carrying  off  three  thousand  francs.  She  knew  nothing 
about  the  trade  which  she  had  undertaken,  and  she 
was  robbed  without  mercy  on  all  sides.  She  said  noth- 
ing of  these  troubles  to  Hector,  but  she  intended  to 
ask  him  to  come  to  her  assistance.  It  was  the  least 
that  he  could  do. 

At  first,  the  visitors  to  Valfeuillu  were  somewhat  as- 
tonished at  the  constant  presence  there  of  a  young  man 
of  leisure ;  but  they  got  accustomed  to  him.  Hector 
assumed  a  melancholy  expression  of  countenance,  such 
as  a  man  ought  to  have  who  had  undergone  unheard- 
of  misfortunes,  and  whose  life  had  failed  of  its  promise. 
He  appeared  inoffensive ;  people  said : 
"  The  count  has  a  charming  simplicity." 
But  sometimes,  when  alone,  he  had  sudden  and  ter- 
rible relapses.  "  This  life  cannot  last,"  thought  he ; 
and  he  was  overcome  with  childish  rage  when  he  con- 
trasted the  past  with  the  present.  How  could  he  shake 
off  this  dull  existence,  and  rid  himself  of  these  stiffly 
good  people  who  surrounded  him,  these  friends  of  Sau- 
vresy?  Where  should  he  take  refuge?  He  was  not 
tempted  to  return  to  Paris;  what  could  he  do  there? 
His  house  had  been  sold  to  an  old  leather  merchant ; 
and  he  had  no  money  except  that  which  he  borrowed 


i94        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

of  Sauvresy.  Yet  Sauvresy,  to  Hector's  mind,  was  a 
most  uncomfortable,  wearisome,  implacable  friend ;  he 
did  not  understand  half-way  measures  in  desperate  sit- 
uations. 

"  Your  boat  is  foundering,"  he  said  to  Hector ;  "  let 
us  begin  by  throwing  all  that  is  superfluous  into  the 
sea.  Let  us  keep  nothing  of  the  past;  that  is  dead; 
we  will  bury  it,  and  nothing  shall  recall  it.  When 
your  situation  is  relieved,  we  will  see." 

The  settlement  of  Hector's  affairs  was  very  labori- 
ous. Creditors  sprung  up  at  every  step,  on  every  side, 
and  the  list  of  them  seemed  never  to  be  finished.  Some 
had  even  come  from  foreign  lands.  Several  of  them 
had  been  already  paid,  but  their  receipts  could  not  be 
found,  and  they  were  clamorous.  Others,  whose  de- 
mands had  been  refused  as  exorbitant,  threatened  to 
go  to  law,  hoping  to  frighten  Sauvresy  into  paying. 
Sauvresy  wearied  his  friend  by  his  incessant  activity. 
Every  two  or  three  days  he  went  to  Paris,  and  he  at- 
tended the  sales  of  the  property  in  Burgundy  and 
Orleans.  The  count  at  last  detested  and  hated  him ; 
Sauvresy's  happy,  cheerful  air  annoyed  him  ;  jealousy 
stung  him.  One  thought — that  a  wretched  one — con- 
soled him  a  little.  "  Sauvresy's  happiness,"  said  he  to 
himself,  "  is  owing  to  his  imbecility.  He  thinks  his 
wife  dead  in  love  with  him,  whereas  she  can't  bear 
him." 

Bertha  had,  indeed,  permitted  Hector  to  perceive 
her  aversion  to  her  husband.  She  no  longer  studied 
the  emotions  of  her  heart;  she  loved  Tremorel,  and 
confessed  it  to  herself.  In  her  eyes  he  realized  the  ideal 
of  her  dreams.  At  the  same  time  she  was  exasperated 
to  see  in  him  no  signs  of  love  for  her.  Her  beauty  was 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        195 

not,  then,  irresistible,  as  she  had  often  been  told.    He 
was  gallant  and  courteous  to  her — nothing  more. 

"  If  he  loved  me,"  thought  she,  "  he  would  tell  me 
so,  for  he  is  bold  with  women  and  fears  no  one." 

Then  she  began  to  hate  the  girl,  her  rival,  whom 
Hector  went  to  meet  at  Corbeil  every  week.  She 
wished  to  see  her,  to  know  her.  Who  could  she  be? 
Was  she  handsome?  Hector  had  been  very  reticent 
about  Jenny.  He  evaded  all  questions  about  her,  not 
sorry  to  let  Bertha's  imagination  work  on  his  myste- 
rious visits. 

The  day  at  last  came  when  she  could  no  longer  re- 
sist the  intensity  of  her  curiosity.  She  put  on  the  sim- 
plest of  her  toilets,  in  black,  threw  a  thick  veil  over  her 
head,  and  hastened  to  the  Corbeil  station  at  the  hour 
that  she  thought  the  unknown  girl  would  present  her- 
self there.  She  took  a  seat  on  a  bench  in  the  rear  of 
the  waiting-room.  She  had  not  long  to  wait.  She 
soon  perceived  the  count  and  a  young  girl  coming 
along  the  avenue,  which  she  could  see  from  where  she 
sat.  They  were  arm  in  arm,  and  seemed  to  be  in  a 
very  happy  mood.  They  passed  within  a  few  steps  of 
her,  and  as  they  walked  very  slowly,  she  was  able  to 
scrutinize  Jenny  at  her  ease.  She  saw  that  she  was 
pretty,  but  that  was  all.  Having  seen  that  which  she 
wished,  and  become  satisfied  that  Jenny  was  not  to  be 
feared  (which  showed  her  inexperience)  Bertha  di- 
rected her  steps  homeward.  But  she  chose  her 
time  of  departure  awkwardly;  for  as  she  was  pass- 
ing along  behind  the  cabs,  which  concealed  her, 
Hector  came  out  of  the  station.  They  crossed  each 
other's  paths  at  the  gate,  and  their  eyes  met.  Did  he 
recognize  her?  His  face  expressed  great  surprise,  yet 
he  did  not  bow  to  her.  "  Yes,  he  recognized  me," 


196        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

thought  Bertha,  as  she  returned  home  by  the  river- 
road  ;  and  surprised,  almost  terrified  by  her  boldness, 
she  asked  herself  whether  she  ought  to  rejoice  or 
mourn  over  this  meeting.  What  would  be  its  result? 
Hector  cautiously  followed  her  at  a  little  distance.  He 
was  greatly  astonished.  His  vanity,  always  on  the 
watch,  had  already  apprised  him  of  what  was  passing 
in  Bertha's  heart,  but,  though  modesty  was  no  fault  of 
his,  he  was  far  from  guessing  that  she  was  so  much 
enamoured  of  him  as  to  take  such  a  step. 

"  She  loves  me !  "  he  repeated  to  himself,  as  he  went 
along.  "  She  loves  me !  " 

He  did  not  yet  know  what  to  do.  Should  he  fly? 
Should  he  still  appear  the  same  in  his  conduct  toward 
her,  pretending  not  to  have  seen  her?  He  ought  to  fly 
that  very  evening,  without  hesitation,  without  turning 
his  head ;  to  fly  as  if  the  house  were  about  to  tumble 
about  his  head.  This  was  his  first  thought.  It  was 
quickly  stifled  under  the  explosion  of  the  base  passions 
which  fermented  in  him.  Ah,  Sauvresy  had  saved  him 
when  he  was  dying!  Sauvresy,  after  saving  him,  had 
welcomed  him,  opened  to  him  his  heart,  purse,  house ; 
at  this  very  moment  he  was  making  untiring  efforts  to 
restore  his  fortunes.  Men  like  Tremorel  can  only  re- 
ceive such  services  as  outrages.  Had  not  his  sojourn 
at  Valfeuillu  been  a  continual  suffering  ?  Was  not  his 
self-conceit  tortured  from  morning  till  night?  He 
might  count  the  days  by  their  humiliations.  What! 
Must  he  always  submit  to — if  he  was  not  grateful  for 
— the  superiority  of  a  man  whom  he  had  always  been 
wont  to  treat  as  his  inferior  ? 

"  Besides,"  thought  he,  judging  his  friend  by  him- 
self, "  he  only  acts  thus  from  pride  and  ostentation. 
What  am  I  at  his  house,  but  a  living  witness  of  his 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        197 

generosity  and  devotion?  He  seems  to  live  for  me — 
it's  Tremorel  here  and  Tremorel  there !  He  triumphs 
over  my  misfortunes,  and  makes  his  conduct  a  glory 
and  title  to  the  public  admiration." 

He  could  not  forgive  his  friend  for  being  so  rich,  so 
happy,  so  highly  respected,  for  having  known  how  to 
regulate  his  life,  while  he  had  exhausted  his  own  fort- 
une at  thirty.  And  should  he  not  seize  so  good  an 
opportunity  to  avenge  himself  for  the  favors  which 
overwhelmed  him  ? 

"  Have  I  run  after  his  wife  ?  "  said  he  to  himself,  try- 
ing to  impose  silence  on  his  conscience.  "  She  comes 
to  me  of  her  own  will,  herself,  without  the  least  tempta- 
tion from  me.  I  should  be  a  fool  if  I  repelled  her." 

Conceit  has  irresistible  arguments.  Hector,  when 
he  entered  the  house,  had  made  up  his  mind.  He  did 
not  fly.  Yet  he  had  the  excuse  neither  of  passion  nor 
of  temptation ;  he  did  not  love  her,  and  his  infamy 
was  deliberate,  coldly  premeditated.  Between  her  and 
him  a  chain  more  solid  than  mutual  attraction  was 
riveted ;  their  common  hatred  of  Sauvresy.  They 
owed  too  much  to  him.  His  hand  had  held  both  from 
degradation. 

The  first  hours  of  their  mutual  understanding  were 
spent  in  angry  words,  rather  than  the  cooings  of  love. 
They  perceived  too  clearly  the  disgrace  of  their  con- 
duct not  to  try  to  reassure  each  other  against  their  re- 
morse. They  tried  to  prove  to  each  other  that  Sau- 
vresy was  ridiculous  and  odious ;  as  if  they  were  ab- 
solved by  his  deficiencies,  if  deficiencies  he  had.  If  in- 
deed trustfulness  is  foolishness,  Sauvresy  was  indeed 
a  fool,  because  he  could  be  deceived  under  his  own 
eyes,  in  his  own  house,  because  he  had  perfect  faith  in 
his  wife  and  his  friend.  He  suspected  nothing,  and 


198        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

every  day  he  rejoiced  that  he  had  been  able  to  keep 
Tremorel  by  him.    He  often  repeated  to  his  wife : 

"  I  am  too  happy." 

Bertha  employed  all  her  art  to  encourage  these  joy- 
ous illusions.  She  who  had  before  been  so  capricious, 
so  nervous,  wilful,  became  little  by  little  submissive  to 
the  degree  of  an  angelic  softness.  The  future  of  her 
love  depended  on  her  husband,  and  she  spared  no  pains 
to  prevent  the  slightest  suspicion  from  ruffling  his  calm 
confidence.  Such  was  their  prudence  that  no  one  in 
the  house  suspected  their  state.  And  yet  Bertha  was 
not  happy.  Her  love  did  not  yield  her  the  joys  she  had 
expected.  She  hoped  to  be  transported  to  the  clouds, 
and  she  remained  on  the  earth,  hampered  by  all  the 
miserable  ties  of  a  life  of  lies  and  deceit. 

Perhaps  she  perceived  that  she  was  Hector's  revenge 
on  her  husband,  and  that  he  only  loved  in  her  the  dis- 
honored wife  of  an  envied  friend.  And  to  crown  all, 
she  was  jealous.  For  several  months  she  tried  to  per- 
suade Tremorel  to  break  with  Jenny.  He  always  had 
the  same  reply,  which,  though  it  might  be  prudent, 
was  irritating. 

"  Jenny  is  our  security — you  must  think  of  that." 

The  fact  was,  however,  that  he  was  trying  to  devise 
some  means  of  getting  rid  of  Jenny.  It  was  a  difficult 
matter.  The  poor  girl,  having  fallen  into  comparative 
poverty,  became  more  and  more  tenacious  of  Hector's 
affection.  She  often  gave  him  trouble  by  telling  him 
that  he  was  no  longer  the  same,  that  he  was  changed ; 
she  was  sad,  and  wept,  and  had  red  eyes. 

One  evening,  in  a  fit  of  anger,  she  menaced  him  with 
a  singular  threat. 

"  You  love  another,"  she  said.  "  I  know  it,  for  I 
have  proofs  of  it.  Take  care !  If  you  ever  leave  me, 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        199 

my  anger  will  fall  on  her  head,  and  I  will  not  have  any 
mercy  on  her." 

The  count  foolishly  attached  no  importance  to  these 
words ;  they  only  hastened  the  separation. 

"  She  is  getting  very  troublesome,"  thought  he.  "  If 
some  day  I  shouldn't  go  when  she  was  expecting  me, 
she  might  come  up  to  Valfeuillu,  and  make  a  wretched 
scandal." 

He  armed  himself  with  all  his  courage,  which  was 
assisted  by  Bertha's  tears  and  entreaties,  and  started 
for  Corbeil  resolved  to  break  off  with  Jenny.  He  took 
every  precaution  in  declaring  his  intentions,  giving 
the  best  reasons  for  his  decision  that  he  could  think  of. 

"  We  must  be  careful,  you  know,  Jenny,"  said  he, 
"  and  cease  to  meet  for  a  while.  I  am  ruined,  you 
know,  and  the  only  thing  that  can  save  me  is  marriage." 

Hector  had  prepared  himself  for  an  explosion  of  fury, 
piercing  cries,  hysterics,  fainting-fits.  To  his  great 
surprise,  Jenny  did  not  answer  a  word.  She  became  as 
white  as  her  collar,  her  ruddy  lips  blanched,  her  eyes 
stared. 

"  So,"  said  she,  with  her  teeth  tightly  shut  to  contain 
herself,  "  so  you  are  going  to  get  married  ?  " 

"  Alas,  I  must,"  he  answered  with  a  hypocritical 
sigh.  "  You  know  that  lately  I  have  only  been  able  to 
get  money  for  you  by  borrowing  from  my  friend ;  his 
purse  will  not  be  at  my  service  forever." 

Jenny  took  Hector  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  to  the 
window.  There,  looking  intently  at  him,  as  if  her  gaze 
could  frighten  the  truth  out  of  him,  she  said,  slowly: 

"  It  is  really  true,  is  it,  that  you  are  going  to  leave 
me  to  get  married  ?  " 

Hector  disengaged  one  of  his  hands,  and  placed  it 
on  his  heart. 


200        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCTVAL 

"  I  swear  it  on  my  honor,"  said  he. 

"  I  ought  to  believe  you,  then." 

Jenny  returned  to  the  middle  of  the  room.  Stand- 
ing erect  before  the  mirror,  she  put  on  her  hat,  quietly 
disposing  its  ribbons  as  if  nothing  had  occurred. 
When  she  was  ready  to  go,  she  went  up  to  Tremorel. 

"  For  the  last  time,"  said  she,  in  a  tone  which  she 
forced  to  be  firm,  and  which  belied  her  tearful,  glisten- 
ing eyes.  "  For  the  last  time,  Hector,  are  we  really  to 
part?" 

"  We  must." 

Jenny  made  a  gesture  which  Tremorel  did  not  see ; 
her  face  had  a  malicious  expression ;  her  lips  parted 
to  utter  some  sarcastic  response ;  but  she  recovered 
herself  almost  immediately. 

"  I  am  going,  Hector,"  said  she,  after  a  moment's 
reflection.  "  If  you  are  really  leaving  me  to  get  mar- 
ried, you  shall  never  hear  of  me  again." 

"  Why,  Jenny,  I  hope  I  shall  still  remain  your 
friend." 

"  Well,  only  if  you  abandon  me  for  another  reason, 
remember  what  I  tell  you  ;  you  will  be  a  dead  man,  and 
she,  a  lost  woman." 

She  opened  the  door;  he  tried  to  take  her  hand; 
she  repulsed  him. 

"Adieu!" 

Hector  ran  to  the  window  to  assure  himself  of  her 
departure.  She  was  ascending  the  avenue  leading  to 
the  station. 

"  Well,  that's  over,"  thought  he,  with  'a  sigh  of  re- 
lief. "  Jenny  was  a  good  girl." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        201 


XVI 

The  count  told  half  a  truth  when  he  spoke  to  Jenny 
of  his  marriage.  Sauvresy  and  he  had  discussed  the 
subject,  and  if  the  matter  was  not  as  ripe  as  he  had  rep- 
resented, there  was  at  least  some  prospect  of  such  an 
event.  Sauvresy  had  proposed  it  in  his  anxiety  to  com- 
plete his  work  of  restoring  Hector  to  fortune  and  so- 
ciety. 

One  evening,  about  a  month  before  the  events  just 
narrated,  he  had  led  Hector  into  the  library,  saying: 

"  Give  me  your  ear  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and 
don't  answer  me  hastily.  What  I  am  going  to  pro- 
pose to  you  deserves  serious  reflection." 

"  Well,  I  can  be  serious  when  it  is  necessary." 

"  Let's  begin  with  your  debts.  Their  payment  is 
not  yet  completed,  but  enough  has  been  done  to  enable 
us  to  foresee  the  end.  It  is  certain  that  you  will  have, 
after  all  debts  are  paid,  from  three  to  four  hundred  thou- 
sand francs." 

Hector  had  never,  in  his  wildest  hopes,  expected 
such  success. 

"  Why,  I'm  going  to  be  rich,"  exclaimed  he  joyously. 

"  No,  not  rich,  but  quite  above  want.  There  is,  too,  a 
mode  in  which  you  can  regain  your  lost  position." 

"A  mode?  what?" 

Sauvresy  paused  a  moment,  and  looked  steadily  at 
his  friend. 

"  You  must  marry,"  said  he  at  last. 

This  seemed  to  surprise  Hector,  but  not  disagree- 
ably. 

"  I,  marry  ?  It's  easier  to  give  that  advice  than  to 
follow  it." 


202        THE  MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Pardon  me — you  ought  to  know  that  I  do  not 
speak  rashly.  What  would  you  say  to  a  young  girl  of 
good  family,  pretty,  well  brought  up,  so  charming 
that,  excepting  my  own  wife,  I  know  of  no  one  more 
attractive,  and  who  would  bring  with  her  a  dowry  of  a 
million?" 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  I  should  say  that  I  adore  her !  And 
do  you  know  such  an  angel  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  you  too,  for  the  angel  is  Mademoiselle 
Laurence  Courtois." 

Hector's  radiant  face  overclouded  at  this  name,  and 
he  made  a  discouraged  gesture. 

"  Never,"  said  he.  "  That  stiff  and  obstinate  old  mer- 
chant, Monsieur  Courtois,  would  never  consent  to  give 
his  daughter  to  a  man  who  has  been  fool  enough  to 
waste  his  fortune." 

Sauvresy  shrugged  his  shoulders.' 

"  Now,  there's  what  it  is  to  have  eyes,  and  not  see. 
Know  that  this  Courtois,  whom  you  think  so  obsti- 
nate, is  really  the  most  romantic  of  men,  and  an  ambi- 
tious old  fellow  to  boot.  It  would  seem  to  him  a  grand 
good  speculation  to  give  his  daughter  to  the  Count 
Hector  de  Tremorel,  cousin  of  the  Duke  of  Samble- 
meuse,  the  relative  of  the  Commarins,  even  though 
you  hadn't  a  sou.  What  wouldn't  he  give  to  have  the 
delicious  pleasure  of  saying,  Monsieur  the  Count,  my 
son-in-law;  or  my  daughter,  Madame  the  Countess 
Hector!  And  you  aren't  ruined,  you  know,  you  are 
going  to  have  an  income  of  twenty  thousand  francs, 
and  perhaps  enough  more  to  raise  your  capital  to  a 
million." 

Hector  was  silent.  He  had  thought  his  life  ended, 
and  now,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  splendid  perspective  un- 
rolled itself  before  him.  He  might  then  rid  himself  of 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        203 

the  patronizing  protection  of  his  friend ;  he  would  be 
free,  rich,  would  have  a  better  wife,  as  he  thought, 
than  Bertha;  his  house  would  outshine  Sauvresy's. 
The  thought  of  Bertha  crossed  his  mind,  and  it  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  might  thus  escape  a  lover  who 
although  beautiful  and  loving,  was  proud  and  bold,  and 
whose  domineering  temper  began  to  be  burdensome  to 
him. 

"  I  may  say,"  said  he,  seriously  to  his  friend,  "  that  I 
have  always  thought  Monsieur  Courtois  an  excellent 
and  honorable  man,  and  Mademoiselle  Laurence 
seems  to  me  so  accomplished  a  young  lady,  that  a 
man  might  be  happy  in  marrying  her  even  without  a 
dowry." 

"So  much  the  better,  my  dear  Hector,  so  much  the 
better.  But  you  know,  the  first  thing  is  to  engage  Lau- 
rence's affections ;  her  father  adores  her,  and  would 
not,  I  am  sure,  give  her  to  a  man  whom  she  herself 
had  not  chosen." 

"  Don't  disturb  yourself,"  answered  Hector,  with  a 
gesture  of  triumph,  "  she  will  love  me." 

The  next  day  he  took  occasion  to  encounter  M. 
Courtois,  who  invited  him  to  dinner.  The  count  em- 
ployed all  his  practised  seductions  on  Laurence,  which 
were  so  brilliant  and  able  that  they  were  well  fitted  to 
surprise  and  dazzle  a  young  girl.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore the  count  was  the  hero  of  the  mayor's  household. 
Nothing  formal  had  been  said,  nor  any  direct  allusion 
or  overture  made ;  yet  M.  Courtois  was  sure  that  Hec- 
tor would  some  day  ask  his  daughter's  hand,  and  that 
he  should  freely  answer,  "  yes ;  "  while  he  thought  it 
certain  that  Laurence  would  not  say  "  no." 

Bertha  suspected  nothing;  she  was  now  very  much 
worried  about  Jenny,  and  saw  nothing  else.  Sau- 


204        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

vresy,  after  spending  an  evening  with  the  count  at  the 
mayor's,  during  which  Hector  had  not  once  quitted 
the  whist-table,  decided  to  speak  to  his  wife  of  the  pro- 
posed marriage,  which  he  thought  would  give  her  an 
agreeable  surprise.  At  his  first  words,  she  grew  pale. 
Her  emotion  was  so  great  that,  seeing  she  would  be- 
tray herself,  she  hastily  retired  to  her  boudoir.  Sau- 
vresy,  quietly  seated  in  one  of  the  bedroom  arm-chairs, 
continued  to  expatiate  on  the  advantages  of  such  a 
marriage — raising  his  voice,  so  that  Bertha  might  hear 
him  in  the  neighboring  room. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "  that  our  friend  has  an  in- 
come of  sixty  thousand  crowns  ?  We'll  find  an  estate 
for  him  near  by,  and  then  we  shall  see  him  and  his  wife 
every  day.  They  will  be  very  pleasant  society  for  us 
in  the  autumn  months.  Hector  is  a  fine  fellow,  and 
you've  often  told  me  how  charming  Laurence  is." 

Bertha  did  not  reply.  This  unexpected  blow  was  so 
terrible  that  she  could  not  think  clearly,  and  her  brain 
whirled. 

"  You  don't  say  anything,"  pursued  Sauvresy. 
"  Don't  you  approve  of  my  project?  I  thought  you'd 
be  enchanted  with  it." 

She  saw  that  if  she  were  silent  any  longer,  her  hus- 
band would  go  in  and  find  her  sunk  upon  a  chair,  and 
would  guess  all.  She  made  an  effort  and  said,  in  a 
strangled  voice,  without  attaching  any  sense  to  her 
words : 

"  Yes,  yes ;  it  is  a  capital  idea." 

"  How  you  say  that !    Do  you  see  any  objections  ?  " 

She  was  trying  to  find  some  objection,  but  could 
not. 

"  I  have  a  little  fear  of  Laurence's  future,"  said  she 
at  last. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        205 

"Bah!    Why?" 

"  I  only  say  what  I've  heard  you  say.  You  told  me 
that  Monsieur  Tremorel  has-  been  a  libertine,  a  gam- 
bler, a  prodigal " 

"  All  the  more  reason  for  trusting  him.  His  past 
follies  guarantee  his  future  prudence.  He  has  received 
a  lesson  which  he  will  not  forget.  Besides,  he  will  love 
his  wife." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Barbleu,  he  loves  her  already." 

"Who  told  you  so?" 

"  Himself." 

And  Sauvresy  began  to  laugh  about  Hector's  pas- 
sion, which  he  said  was  becoming  quite  pastoral. 

"  Would  you  believe,"  said  he,  laughing,  "  that  he 
thinks  our  worthy  Courtois  a  man  of  wit  ?  Ah,  what 
spectacles  these  lovers  look  through !  He  spends  two 
or  three  hours  every  day  with  the  mayor.  What  do 
you  suppose  he  does  there  ?  " 

Bertha,  by  great  effort,  succeeded  in  dissembling 
her  grief;  she  reappeared  with  a  smiling  face.  She 
went  and  came,  apparently  calm,  though  suffering  the 
bitterest  anguish  a  woman  can  endure.  And  she  could 
not  run  to  Hector,  and  ask  him  if  it  were  true ! 

For  Sauvresy  must  be  deceiving  her.  Why?  She 
knew  not.  No  matter.  She  felt  her  hatred  of  him  in- 
creasing to  disgust ;  for  she  excused  and  pardoned  her 
lover,  and  she  blamed  her  husband  alone.  Whose  idea 
was  this  marriage?  His.  Who  had  awakened  Hec- 
tor's hopes,  and  encouraged  them?  He,  always  he. 
While  he  had  been  harmless,  she  had  been  able  to 
pardon  him  for  having  married  her ;  she  had  compelled 
herself  to  bear  him,  to  feigrt  a  love  quite  foreign  to  her 
heart.  But  now  he  became  hateful ;  should  she  submit 


ao6        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

to  his  interference  in  a  matter  which  was  life  or  death 
to  her? 

She  did  not  close  her  eyes  all  night ;  she  had  one  of 
those  horrible  nights  in  which  crimes  are  conceived. 
She  did  not  find  herself  alone  with  Hector  until  after 
breakfast  the  next  day,  in  the  billiard-hall. 

"Is  it  true?  "she  asked. 

The  expression  of  her  face  was  so  menacing  that  he 
quailed  before  it.  He  stammered : 

"True— what?" 

"  Your  marriage." 

He  was  silent  at  first,  asking  himself  whether  he 
should  tell  the  truth  or  equivocate.  At  last,  irritated 
by  Bertha's  imperious  tone,  he  replied : 

"  Yes." 

She  was  thunderstruck  at  this  response.  Till  then, 
she  had  a  glimmer  of  hope.  She  thought  that  he  would 
at  least  try  to  reassure  her,  to  deceive  her.  There  are 
times  when  a  falsehood  is  the  highest  homage.  But 
no — he  avowed  it.  She  was  speechless;  words  failed 
her. 

Tremorel  began  to  tell  her  the  motives  which 
prompted  his  conduct.  He  could  not  live  forever  at 
Valfeuillu.  What  could  he,  with  his  habits  and  tastes, 
do  with  a  few  thousand  crowns  a  year  ?  He  was  thirty ; 
he  must,  now  or  never,  think  of  the  future.  M.  Cour- 
tois  would  give  his  daughter  a  million,  and  at  his  death 
there  would  be  a  great  deal  more.  Should  he  let  this 
chance  slip?  He  cared  little  for  Laurence,  it  was  the 
dowry  he  wanted.  He  took  no  pains  to  conceal  his 
meanness  ;  he  rather  gloried  in  it,  speaking  of  the  mar- 
riage as  simply  a  bargain,  in  which  he  gave  his  name 
and  title  in  exchange  for  riches.  Bertha  stopped  him 
with  a  look  full  of  contempt. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        207 

"  Spare  yourself,"  said  she.    "  You  love  Laurence." 

He  would  have  protested  ;  he  really  disliked  her. 

"  Enough,"  resumed  Bertha.  "  Another  woman 
would  have  reproached  you ;  I  simply  tell  you  that  this 
marriage  shall  not  be;  I  do  not  wish  it.  Believe  me, 
give  it  up  frankly,  don't  force  me  to  act." 

She  retired,  shutting  the  door  violently ;  Hector  was 
furious. 

"  How  she  treats  me !  "  said  he  to  himself.  "  Just 
as  a  queen  would  speak  to  a  serf.  Ah,  she  don't  want 
me  to  marry  Laurence !  "  His  coolness  returned,  and 
with  it  serious  reflections.  If  he  insisted  on  marrying, 
would  not  Bertha  carry  out  her  threats  ?  Evidently ; 
for  he  knew  well  that  she  was  one  of  those  women  who 
shrink  from  nothing,  whom  no  consideration  could  ar- 
rest. He  guessed  what  she  would  do,  from  what  she 
had  said  in  a  quarrel  with  him  about  Jenny.  She  had 
told  him,  "  I  will  confess  everything  to  Sauvresy,  and 
we  will  be  the  more  bound  together  by  shame  than  by 
all  the  ceremonies  of  the  church." 

This  was  surely  the  mode  she  would  adopt  to  break 
a  marriage  which  was  so  hateful  to  her ;  and  Tremorel 
trembled  at  the  idea  of  Sauvresy  knowing  all. 

"  What  would  he  do,"  thought  he,  "  if  Bertha  told 
him  ?  He  would  kill  me  off-hand — that's  what  I  would 
do  in  his  place.  Suppose  he  didn't ;  I  should  have  to 
fight  a  duel  with  him,  and  if  I  killed  him,  quit  the  coun- 
try. Whatever  would  happen,  my  marriage  is  irrevo- 
cably broken,  and  Bertha  seems  to  be  on  my  hands  for 
all  time." 

He  saw  no  possible  way  out  of  the  horrible  situation 
in  which  he  had  put  himself. 

"  I  must  wait,"  thought  he. 

And  he  waited,  going  secretly  to  the  mayor's,  for  he 
really  loved  Laurence.  He  waited,  devoured  by  anx- 


iety,  struggling  between  Sauvresy's  urgency  and  Ber- 
tha's threats.  How  he  detested  this  woman  who  held 
him,  whose  will  weighed  so  heavily  on  him !  Noth- 
ing could  curb  her  ferocious  obstinacy.  She  had  one 
fixed  idea.  He  had  thought  to  conciliate  her  by  dis- 
missing Jenny.  It  was  a  mistake.  When  he  said  to 
her: 

"  Bertha,  I  shall  never  see  Jenny  again." 

She  answered,  ironically : 

"  Mademoiselle  Courtois  will  be  very  grateful  to 
you !  " 

That  evening,  while  Sauvresy  was  crossing  the  court- 
yard, he  saw  a  beggar  at  the  gate,  making  signs  to 
him. 

"  What  do  you  want,  my  good  man  ?  " 

The  beggar  looked  around  to  see  that  no  one  was 
listening. 

"  I  have  brought  you  a  note,"  said  he,  rapidly,  and  in 
a  low  tone.  "  I  was  told  to  give  it  only  to  you,  and  to 
ask  you  to  read  it  when  you  are  alone." 

He  mysteriously  slipped  a  note,  carefully  sealed, 
into  Sauvresy's  hand. 

"  It  comes  from  a  pretty  girl,"  added  he,  winking. 

Sauvresy,  turning  his  back  to  the  house,  opened  it 
and  read : 

"  SIR — You  will  do  a  great  favor  to  a  poor  and  un- 
happy girl,  if  you  will  come  to-morrow  to  the  Belle 
Image,  at  Corbeil,  where  you  will  be  awaited  all  day. 
"  Your  humble  servant, 

"  JENNY  F ." 

There  was  also  a  postscript. 

"  Please,  sir,  don't  say  a  word  of  this  to  the  Count  de 
Tremorel." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        209 

"  Ah  ha,"  thought  Sauvresy,  "  there's  some  trouble 
about  Hector,  that's  bad  for  the  marriage." 

"  I  was  told,  sir,"  said  the  beggar,  "  there  would  be 
an  answer." 

"  Say  that  I  will  come,"  answered  Sauvresy,  throw- 
ing him  a  franc  piece. 

XVII 

The  next  day  was  cold  and  damp.  A  fog,  so  thick 
that  one  could  not  discern  objects  ten  steps  off,  hung 
over  the  earth.  Sauvresy,  after  breakfast,  took  his  gun 
and  whistled  to  his  dogs. 

"  I'm  going  to  take  a  turn  in  Mauprevoir  wood," 
said  he. 

"  A  queer  idea,"  remarked  Hector,  "  for  you  wont 
see  the  end  of  your  gun-barrel  in  the  woods." 

"  No  matter,  if  I  see  some  pheasants." 

This  was  only  a  pretext,  for  Sauvresy,  on  leaving 
Valfeuillu,  took  the  direct  road  to  Corbeil,  and  half 
an  hour  later,  faithful  to  his  promise,  he  entered  the 
Belle  Image  tavern. 

Jenny  was  waiting  for  him  in  the  large  room  which 
had  always  been  reserved  for  her  since  she  became  a 
regular  customer  of  the  house.  Her  eyes  were  red 
with  recent  tears ;  she  was  very  pale,  and  her  marble 
color  showed  that  she  had  not  slept.  Her  breakfast  lay 
untouched  on  the  table  near  the  fireplace,  where  a 
bright  fire  was  burning.  When  Sauvresy  came  in,  she 
rose  to  meet  him,  and  took  him  by  the  hand  with  a 
friendly  motion. 

"  Thank  you  for  coming,"  said  she.  "  Ah,  you  are 
very  good." 

Jenny  was  only  a  girl,  and  Sauvresy  detested  girls ; 


zio        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

but  her  grief  was  so  sincere  and  seemed  so  deep,  that 
he  was  touched. 

"  You  are  suffering,  Madame  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  Oh,  yes,  very  much." 

Her  tears  choked  her,  and  she  concealed  her  face 
in  her  handkerchief. 

"  I  guessed  right,"  thought  Sauvresy.  "  Hector  has 
deserted  her.  Now  I  must  smooth  the  wound,  and  yet 
make  future  meetings  between  them  impossible." 

He  took  the  weeping  Jenny's  hand,  and  softly  pulled 
away  the  handkerchief. 

"  Have  courage,"  said  he. 

She  lifted  her  tearful  eyes  to  him,  and  said : 

"You  know,  then?" 

"  I  know  nothing,  for,  as  you  asked  me,  I  have  said 
nothing  to  Tremorel;  but  I  can  imagine  what  the 
trouble  is." 

"  He  will  not  see  me  any  more,"  murmured  Jenny. 
"  He  has  deserted  me." 

Sauvresy  summoned  up  all  his  eloquence.  The  mo- 
ment to  be  persuasive  and  paternal  had  come.  He 
drew  a  chair  up  to  Jenny's,  and  sat  down. 

"  Come,  my  child,"  pursued  he,  "  be  resigned.  Peo- 
ple are  not  always  young,  you  know.  A  time  comes 
when  the  voice  of  reason  must  be  heard.  Hector  does 
not  desert  you,  but  he  sees  the  necessity  of  assuring 
his  future,  and  placing  his  life  on  a  domestic  founda- 
tion ;  he  feels  the  need  of  a  home." 

Jenny  stopped  crying.  Nature  took  the  upper  hand, 
and  her  tears  were  dried  by  the  fire  of  anger  which 
took  possession  of  her.  She  rose,  overturning  her 
chair,  and  walked  restlessly  up  and  down  the  room. 

"  Do  you  believe  that?  "  said  she.  "  Do  you  believe 
that  Hector  troubles  himself  about  his  future  ?  I  see 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        211 

you  don't  know  his  character.  He  dream  of  a  home, 
or  a  family  ?  He  never  has  and  never  will  think  of  any- 
thing but  himself.  If  he  had  any  heart,  would  he  have 
gone  to  live  with  you  as  he  has  ?  He  had  two  arms  to 
gain  his  bread  and  mine.  I  was  ashamed  to  ask  money 
of  him,  knowing  that  what  he  gave  me  came  from 
you." 

"  But  he  is  my  friend,  my  dear  child." 

"  Would  you  do  as  he  has  done?  " 

Sauvresy  did  not  know  what  to  say;  he  was  em- 
barrassed by  the  logic  of  this  daughter  of  the  people, 
judging  her  lover  rudely,  but  justly. 

"  Ah,  I  know  him,  I  do,"  continued  Jenny,  growing 
more  excited  as  her  mind  reverted  to  the  past.  "  He 
has  only  deceived  me  once — the  morning  he  came  and 
told  me  he  was  going  to  kill  himself.  I  was  stupid 
enough  to  think  him  dead,  and  to  cry  about  it.  He, 
kill  himself  ?  Why,  he's  too  much  of  a  coward  to  hurt 
himself!  Yes,  I  love  him,  but  I  don't  esteem  him. 
That's  our  fate,  you  see,  only  to  love  the  men  we  de- 
spise." 

Jenny  talked  loud,  gesticulating,  and  every  now  and 
then  thumping  the  table  with  her  fist  so  that  the  bottles 
and  glasses  jingled.  Sauvresy  was  somewhat  fearful 
lest  the  hotel  people  should  hear  her ;  they  knew  him, 
and  had  seen  him  come  in.  He  began  to  be  sorry  that 
he  had  come,  and  tried  to  calm  the  girl. 

"  But  Hector  is  not  deserting  you,"  repeated  he. 
"  He  will  assure  you  a  good  position." 

"  Humph  !  I  should  laugh  at  such  a  thing !  Have 
I  any  need  of  him?  As  long  as  I  have  ten  fingers  and 
good  eyes,  I  shall  not  be  at  the  mercy  of  any  man.  He 
made  me  change  my  name,  and  wanted  to  accustom 
me  to  luxury !  And  now  there  is  neither  a  Miss  Jenny, 


2i2        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

nor  riches,  but  there  is  a  Pelagic,  who  proposes  to  get 
her  fifty  sous  a  day,  without  much  trouble." 

"  No,"  said  Sauvresy,  "  you  will  not  need " 

"  What  ?  To  work  ?  But  I  like  work  ;  I  am  not  a 
do-nothing.  I  will  go  back  to  my  old  life.  I  used  to 
breakfast  on  a  sou's  worth  of  biscuit  and  a  sou's  worth 
of  potatoes,  and  was  well  and  happy.  On  Sundays,  I 
dined  at  the  Turk  for  thirty  sous.  I  laughed  more  then 
in  one  afternoon,  than  in  all  the  years  I  have  known 
Tremorel." 

She  no  longer  cried,  nor  was  she  angry;  she  was 
laughing.  She  was  thinking  of  her  old  breakfasts, 
and  her  feasts  at  the  Turk. 

Sauvresy  was  stupefied.  He  had  no  idea  of  this 
Parisian  nature,  detestable  and  excellent,  emotional 
to  excess,  nervous,  full  of  transitions,  which  laughs  and 
cries,  caresses  and  strikes  in  the  same  minute,  which 
a  passing  idea  whirls  a  hundred  leagues  from  the  pres- 
ent moment. 

"  So,"  said  Jenny,  more  calmly,  "  I  snap  my  fingers 
at  Hector  " — she  had  just  said  exactly  the  contrary, 
and  had  forgotten  it — "  I  don't  care  for  him,  but  I  will 
not  let  him  leave  me  in  this  way.  It  sha'n't  be  said  that 
he  left  me  for  another.  I  won't  have  it." 

Jenny  was  one  of  those  women  who  do  not  reason, 
but  who  feel ;  with  whom  it  is  folly  to  argue,  for  their 
fixed  idea  is  impregnable  to  the  most  victorious  argu- 
ments. Sauvresy  asked  himself  why  she  had  asked 
him  to  come,  and  said  to  himself  that  the  part  he  had 
intended  to  play  would  be  a  difficult  one.  But  he  was 
patient. 

"  I  see,  my  child,"  he  commenced,  "  that  you  haven't 
understood  or  even  heard  me.  I  told  you  that  Hector 
was  intending  to  marry." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        213 

"  He !  "  answered  Jenny,  with  an  ironical  gesture. 
"  He  get  married." 

She  reflected  a  moment,  and  added : 

"  If  it  were  true,  though " 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  so." 

"  No,"  cried  Jenny,  "  no,  that  can't  be  possible.  He 
loves  another,  I  am  sure  of  it,  for  I  have  proofs." 

Sauvresy  smiled ;  this  irritated  her. 

"  What  does  this  letter  mean,"  cried  she  warmly, 
"  which  I  found  in  his  pocket,  six  months  ago  ?  It  isn't 
signed  to  be  sure,  but  it  must  have  come  from  a 
woman." 

"A  letter?" 

"  Yes,  one  that  destroys  all  doubts.  Perhaps  you 
ask,  why  I  did  not  speak  to  him  about  it  ?  Ah,  you  see, 
I  did  not  dare.  I  loved  him.  I  was  afraid  if  I  said 
anything,  and  it  was  true  he  loved  another,  I  should 
lose  him.  And  so  I  resigned  myself  to  humiliation,  I 
concealed  myself  to  weep,  for  I  said  to  myself,  he  will 
come  back  to  me.  Poor  fool !  " 

"  Well,  but  what  will  you  do  ?  " 

"  Me  ?  I  don't  know — anything.  I  didn't  say  any- 
thing about  the  letter,  but  I  kept  it ;  it  is  my  weapon — 
I  will  make  use  of  it.  When  I  want  to,  I  shall  find  out 
who  she  is,  and  then " 

"  You  will  compel  Tremorel,  who  is  kindly  disposed 
toward  you,  to  use  violence." 

"  He  ?  What  can  he  do  to  me  ?  Why,  I  will  follow 
him  like  his  shadow — I  will  cry  out  everywhere  the 
name  of  this  other.  Will  he  have  me  put  in  St.  Lazare 
prison?  I  will  invent  the  most  dreadful  calumnies 
against  him.  They  will  not  believe  me  at  first ;  later, 
part  of  it  will  be  believed.  I  have  nothing  to  fear — I 
have  no  parents,  no  friends,  nobody  on  earth  who  cares 


ai4        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

for  me.  That's  what  it  is  to  raise  girls  from  the  gutter. 
I  have  fallen  so  low  that  I  defy  him  to  push  me  lower. 
So,  if  you  are  his  friend,  sir,  advise  him  to  come  back 
to  me." 

Sauvresy  was  really  alarmed;  he  saw  clearly  how 
real  and  earnest  Jenny's  menaces  were.  There  are 
persecutions  against  which  the  law  is  powerless.  But 
he  dissimulated  his  alarm  under  the  blandest  air  he 
could  assume. 

"  Hear  me,  my  child,"  said  he.  "  If  I  give  you  my 
word  of  honor  to  tell  you  the  truth,  you'll  believe  me, 
won't  you  ?  " 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  said : 

"  Yes,  you  are  honorable ;  I  will  believe  you." 

"  Then,  I  swear  to  you  that  Tremorel  hopes  to  marry 
a  young  girl  who  is  immensely  rich,  whose  dowry  will 
secure  his  future." 

"  He  tells  you  so ;  he  wants  you  to  believe  it." 

"  Why  should  he  ?  Since  he  came  to  Valfeuillu,  he 
could  have  had  no  other  affair  than  this  with  you.  He 
lives  in  my  house,  as  if  he  were  my  brother,  between 
my  wife  and  myself,  and  I  could  tell  you  how  he  spends 
his  time  every  hour  of  every  day  as  well  as  what  I  do 
myself." 

Jenny  opened  her  mouth  to  reply,  but  a  sudden  re- 
flection froze  the  words  on  her  lips.  She  remained  si- 
lent and  blushed  violently,  looking  at  Sauvresy  with  an 
indefinable  expression.  He  did  not  observe  this,  being 
inspired  by  a  restless  though  aimless  curiosity.  This 
proof,  which  Jenny  talked  about,  worried  him. 

"  Suppose,"  said  he,  "  you  should  show  me  this  let* 
ter." 

She  seemed  to  feel  at  these  words  an  electric  shock. 

"  To  you  ?  "  she  said,  shuddering.    "  Never !  " 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        215 

If,  when  one  is  sleeping,  the  thunder  rolls  and  the 
storm  bursts,  it  often  happens  that  the  sleep  is  not 
troubled ;  then  suddenly,  at  a  certain  moment,  the  im- 
perceptible flutter  of  a  passing  insect's  wing  awakens 
one. 

Jenny's  shudder  was  like  such  a  fluttering  to  Sau- 
vresy.  The  sinister  light  of  doubt  struck  on  his  soul. 
Now  his  confidence,  his  happiness,  his  repose,  were 
gone  forever.  He  rose  with  a  flashing  eye  and  trem- 
bling lips. 

"  Give  me  the  letter,"  said  he,  in  an  imperious  tone. 

Jenny  recoiled  with  terror.  She  tried  to  conceal  her 
agitation,  to  smile,  to  turn  the  matter  into  a  joke. 

"  Not  to-day,"  said  she.  "  Another  time ;  you  are 
too  curious." 

But  Sauvresy's  anger  was  terrible;  he  became  as 
purple  as  if  he  had  had  a  stroke  of  apoplexy,  and  he  re- 
peated, in  a  choking  voice : 

"  The  letter,  I  demand  the  letter." 

"  Impossible,"  said  Jenny.  "  Because,"  she  added, 
struck  with  an  idea,  "  I  haven't  got  it  here." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"  At  my  room,  in  Paris." 

"  Come,  then,  let  us  go  there." 

She  saw  that  she  was  caught;  and  she  could  find 
no  more  excuses,  quick-witted  as  she  was.  She  might, 
however,  easily  have  followed  Sauvresy,  put  his  sus- 
picions to  sleep  with  her  gayety,  and  when  once  in  the 
Paris  streets,  might  have  eluded  him  and  fled.  But 
she  did  not  think  of  that.  It  occurred  to  her  that  she 
might  have  time  to  reach  the  door,  open  it,  and  rush 
downstairs.  She  started  to  do  so.  Sauvresy  caught 
her  at  a  bound,  shut  the  door,  and  said,  in  a  low,  hoarse 
voice : 


«i6        THE  MYSTERY   OF   ORCIYAL 

"  Wretched  girl !    Do  you  wish  me  to  strike  you?  ** 

He  pushed  her  into  a  chair,  returned  to  the  door, 
double  locked  it.  and  put  the  keys  in  his  pocket 

"  Now,"  said  he,  returning  to  the  girl,  "  the  letter." 

Jenny  had  never  been  so  terrified  in  her  life.  This 
man's  rage  made  her  tremble ;  she  saw  that  he  was 
beside  himself,  that  she  was  completely  at  his  mercy ; 
yet  she  still  resisted  him. 

"  You  have  hurt  me  very  much,"  said  she,  crying, 
"  but  I  have  done  you  no  harm.** 

He  grasped  her  hands  in  his,  and  bending  over  her, 
repeated: 

"  For  the  last  time,  the  letter ;  give  it  to  me,  or  I  will 
take  it  by  force." 

It  would  have  been  folly  to  resist  longer. 

"  Leave  me  alone,"  said  she.    "  You  shall  have  ft." 

He  released  her,  remaining,  however,  close  by  her 
side,  while  she  searched  in  all  her  pockets.  Her  hair 
had  been  loosened  in  the  struggle,  her  collar  was  torn, 
she  was  tired,  her  teeth  chattered,  but  her  eyes  shone 
with  a  bold  resolution. 

"Wait — here  it  is — no.  It's  odd — I  am  sure  I've 
got  it  though — I  had  it  a  minute  ago " 

And,  suddenly,  with  a  rapid  gesture,  she  put  the  let- 
ter, rolled  into  a  ball,  into  her  mouth,  and  tried  to  swal- 
low ft.  But  Sauvresy  as  quickly  grasped  her  by  the 
throat,  and  she  was  forced  to  disgorge' it. 

He  had  the  letter  at  last.  His  hands  trembled  so 
that  he  could  scarcely  open  ft. 

It  was,  indeed,  Bertha's  writing. 

Sauvresy  tottered  with  a  horrible  sensation  of  dizzi- 
ness; he  could  not  see  clearly ;  there  was  a  red  cloud 
before  his  eyes ;  his  legs  gave  way  under  him,  he  stag- 
gered, and  his  hands  stretched  out  for  a  support. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        217 

Jenny,  somewhat  recovered,  hastened  to  give  him 
help ;  but  her  touch  made  him  shudder,  and  he  re- 
pulsed her.  What  had  happened  he  could  not  tell.  Ah, 
he  wished  to  read  this  letter  and  could  not.  He  went 
to  the  table,  turned  out  and  drank  two  large  glasses  of 
water  one  after  another.  The  cold  draught  restored 
him,  his  blood  resumed  its  natural  course,  and  he  could 
see.  The  note  was  short,  and  this  was  what  he  read : 

"  Don't  go  to-morrow  to  Petit-Bourg ;  or  rather,  re- 
turn before  breakfast.  He  has  just  told  me  that  he 
must  go  to  Melun,  and  that  he  should  return  late.  A 
whole  day !  " 

"  He  " — that  was  himself.  This  other  lover  of  Hec- 
tor's was  Bertha,  his  wife.  For  a  moment  he  saw  noth- 
ing but  that ;  all  thought  was  crushed  within  him.  His 
temples  beat  furiously,  he  heard  a  dreadful  buzzing  in 
his  ears,  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  earth  were  about  to 
swallow  him  up.  He  fell  into  a  chair ;  from  purple  he 
became  ashy  white.  Great  tears  trickled  down  his 
cheeks. 

Jenny  understood  the  miserable  meanness  of  her 
conduct  when  she  saw  this  great  grief,  this  silent  de- 
spair, this  man  with  a  broken  heart.  Was  she  not  the 
cause  of  all  ?  She  had  guessed  who  the  writer  of  the 
note  was.  She  thought  when  she  asked  Sauvresy  to 
come  to  her,  that  she  could  tell  him  all,  and  thus  avenge 
herself  at  once  upon  Hector  and  her  rival.  Then,  on 
seeing  this  man  refusing  to  comprehend  her  hints,  she 
had  been  full  of  pity  for  him.  She  had  said  to  herself 
that  he  would  be  the  one  who  would  be  most  cruelly 
punished ;  and  then  she  had  recoiled — but  too  late — 
and  he  had  snatched  the  secret  from  her. 

She  approached  Sauvresy  and  tried  to  take  his 
hands ;  he  still  repulsed  her. 


218        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Let  me  alone,"  said  he. 

"  Pardon  me,  sir — I  am  a  wretch,  I  am  horrified  at 
myself." 

He  rose  suddenly ;  he  was  gradually  coming  to  him- 
self. 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"  That  letter— I  guessed " 

He  burst  into  a  loud,  bitter,  discordant  laugh,  and 
replied : 

"  God  forgive  me !  Why,  my  dear,  did  you  dare  to 
suspect  my  wife  ?  " 

While  Jenny  was  muttering  confused  excuses,  he 
drew  out  his  pocket-book  and  took  from  it  all  the 
money  it  contained — some  seven  or  eight  hundred 
francs — which  he  put  on  the  table. 

"  Take  this,  from  Hector,"  said  he,  "  he  will  not  per- 
mit you  to  suffer  for  anything;  but,  believe  me,  you 
had  best  let  him  get  married." 

Then  he  mechanically  took  up  his  gun,  opened  the 
door,  and  went  out.  His  dogs  leaped  upon  him  to 
caress  him ;  he  kicked  them  off.  Where  was  he  going? 
What  was  he  going  to  do  ? 

XVIII 

A  small,  fine,  chilly  rain  had  succeeded  the  morning 
fog ;  but  Sauvresy  did  not  perceive  it.  He  went  across 
the  fields  with  his  head  bare,  wandering  at  hazard, 
without  aim  or  discretion.  He  talked  aloud  as  he  went, 
stopping  ever  and  anon,  then  resuming  his  course. 
The  peasants  who  met  him — they  all  knew  him — 
turned  to  look  at  him  after  having  saluted  him,  ask- 
ing themselves  whether  the  master  of  Valfeuillu  had 
not  gone  mad.  Unhappily  he  was  not  mad.  Over- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        219 

whelmed  by  an  unheard-of,  unlooked-for  catastrophe, 
his  brain  had  been  for  a  moment  paralyzed.  But  one 
by  one  he  collected  his  scattered  ideas  and  acquired  the 
faculty  of  thinking  and  of  suffering.  Each  one  of  his 
reflections  increased  his  mortal  anguish.  Yes,  Bertha 
and  Hector  had  deceived,  had  dishonored  him.  She, 
beloved  to  idolatry;  he,  his  best  and  oldest  friend,  a 
wretch  that  he  had  snatched  from  misery,  who  owed 
him  everything.  And  it  was  in  his  house,  under  his 
own  roof,  that  this  infamy  had  taken  place.  They  had 
taken  advantage  of  his  noble  trust,  had  made  a  dupe  of 
him.  The  frightful  discovery  not  only  embittered  the 
future,  but  also  the  past.  He  longed  to  blot  out  of  his 
life  these  years  passed  with  Bertha,  with  whom,  but  the 
night  before,  he  had  recalled  these  "  happiest  years  of 
his  life."  The  memory  of  his  former  happiness  filled 
his  soul  with  disgust.  But  how  had  this  been  done? 
When  ?  How  was  it  he  had  seen  nothing  of  it  ?  And 
now  things  came  into  his  mind  which  should  have 
warned  him  had  he  not  been  blind.  He  recalled  cer- 
tain looks  of  Bertha,  certain  tones  of  voice,  which  were 
an  avowal.  At  times,  he  tried  to  doubt.  There  are 
misfortunes  so  great  that  to  be  believed  there  must  be 
more  than  evidence. 

"  It  is  not  possible !  "  muttered  he. 

Seating  himself  upon  a  prostrate  tree  in  the  midst  of 
Mauprevoir  forest,  he  studied  the  fatal  letter  for  the 
tenth  time  within  four  hours. 

"  It  proves  all,"  said  he,  "  and  it  proves  nothing." 

And  he  read  once  more. 

"  Do  not  go  to-morrow  to  Petit-Bourg " 

Well,  had  he  not  again  and  again,  in  his  idiotic  con- 
fidence, said  to  Hector : 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  I  shall  be  away  to-morrow,  stay  here  and  keep 
Bertha  company." 

This  sentence,  then,  had  no  positive  signification. 
But  why  add : 

"  Or  rather,  return  before  breakfast." 

This  was  what  betrayed  fear,  that  is,  the  fault.  To 
go  away  and  return  again  anon,  was  to  be  cautious,  to 
avoid  suspicion.  Then,  why  "  he,"  instead  of,  "  Clem- 
ent ?  "  This  word  was  striking.  "  He  " — that  is,  the 
dear  one,  or  else,  the  master  that  one  hates.  There  is 
no  medium — 'tis  the  husband,  or  the  lover.  "  He,"  is 
never  an  indifferent  person.  A  husband  is  lost  when 
his  wife,  in  speaking  of  him,  says,  "  He." 

But  when  had  Bertha  written  these  few  lines? 
Doubtless  some  evening  after  they  had  retired  to  their 
room.  He  had  said  to  her,  "  I'm  going  to-morrow  to 
Melun,"  and  then  she  had  hastily  scratched  off  this 
note  and  given  it,  in  a  book,  to  Hector. 

Alas !  the  edifice  of  his  happiness,  which  had  seemed 
to  him  strong  enough  to  defy  every  tempest  of  life,  had 
crumbled,  and  he  stood  there  lost  in  the  midst  of  its 
debris.  No  more  happiness,  joys,  hopes — nothing! 
All  his  plans  for  the  future  rested  on  Bertha ;  her  name 
was  mingled  in  his  every  dream,  she  was  at  once  the 
future  and  the  dream.  He  had  so  loved  her  that  she 
had  become  something  of  himself,  that  he  could  not 
imagine  himself  without  her.  Bertha  lost  to  him,  he 
saw  no  direction  in  life  to  take,  he  had  no  further  rea- 
son for  living.  He  perceived  this  so  vividly  that  the 
idea  of  suicide  came  to  him.  He  had  his  gun,  powder 
and  balls ;  his  death  would  be  attributed  to  a  hunting 
accident,  and  all  would  be  over. 

Oh,  but  the  guilty  ones ! 

They   would   doubtless   go   on   in   their   infamous 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        221 

comedy — would  seem  to  mourn  for  him,  while  really 
their  hearts  would  bound  with  joy.  No  more  husband, 
no  more  hypocrisies  or  terrors.  His  will  giving  his 
fortune  to  Bertha,  they  would  be  rich.  They  would 
sell  everything,  and  would  depart  rejoicing  to  some 
distant  clime.  As  to  his  memory,  poor  man,  it  would 
amuse  them  to  think  of  him  as  the  cheated  and  despised 
husband. 

"Never!"  cried  he,  drunk  with  fury,  "never!  I 
must  kill  myself,  but  first,  I  must  avenge  my  dis- 
honor !  " 

But  he  tried  in  vain  to  imagine  a  punishment  cruel 
or  terrible  enough.  What  chastisement  could  expiate 
the  horrible  tortures  which  he  endured?  He  said  to 
himself  that,  in  order  to  assure  his  vengeance,  he  must 
wait — and  he  swore  that  he  would  wait.  He  would 
feign  the  same  stolid  confidence,  and  resigned  himself 
to  see  and  hear  everything. 

"  My  hypocrisy  will  equal  theirs,"  thought  he\ 

Indeed  a  cautious  duplicity  was  necessary.  Bertha 
was  most  cunning,  and  at  the  first  suspicion  would  fly 
with  her  lover.  Hector  had  already — thanks  to  him — . 
several  hundred  thousand  francs.  The  idea  that  they 
might  escape  his  vengeance  gave  him  energy  and  a 
clear  head. 

It  was  only  then  that  he  thought  of  the  flight  of  time, 
the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  and  the  state  of  his  clothes. 

"  Bah !  "  thought  he,  "  I  will  make  up  some  story  to 
account  for  myself." 

He  was  only  a  league  from  Valfeuillu,  but  he  was  an 
hour  and  a  half  reaching  home.  He  was  broken,  ex- 
hausted ;  he  felt  chilled  to  the  marrow  of  his  bones.  But 
when  he  entered  the  gate,  he  had  succeeded  in  assum- 
ing his  usual  expression,  and  the  gayety  which  so  well 


222        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

hinted  his  perfect  trustfulness.  He  had  been  waited 
for,  but  in  spite  of  his  resolutions,  he  could  not  sit  at 
table  between  this  man  and  woman,  his  two  most  cruel 
enemies.  He  said  that  he  had  taken  cold,  and  would 
go  to  bed.  Bertha  insisted  in  vain  that  he  should  take 
at  least  a  bowl  of  broth,  and  a  glass  of  claret. 

"  Really,"  said  he,  "  I  don't  feel  well." 

When  he  had  retired,  Bertha  said : 

"  Did  you  notice,  Hector?  " 

"What?" 

"  Something  unusual  has  happened  to  him." 

"  Very  likely,  after  being  all  day  in  the  rain." 

"  No.    His  eye  had  a  look  I  never  saw  before." 

"  He  seemed  to  be  very  cheerful,  as  he  always  is." 

"  Hector,  my  husband  suspects !  " 

"  He?  Ah,  my  poor  good  friend  has  too  much  con- 
fidence in  us  to  think  of  being  jealous." 

"  You  deceive  yourself,  Hector ;  he  did  not  embrace 
me  when  he  came  in,  and  it  is  the  first  time  since  our 
marriage." 

Thus,  at  the  very  first,  he  had  made  a  blunder.  He 
knew  it  well ;  but  it  was  beyond  his  power  to  embrace 
Bertha  at  that  moment ;  and  he  was  suffering  more 
than  he  thought  he  should.  When  his  wife  and  his 
friend  ascended  to  his  room,  after  dinner,  they  found 
him  shivering  under  the  sheets,  red,  his  forehead  burn- 
ing, his  throat  dry,  and  his  eyes  shining  with  an  un- 
usual brilliancy.  A  fever  soon  came  on,  attended  by 
delirium.  A  doctor  was  called,  who  at  first  said  he 
would  not  answer  for  him.  The  next  day  he  was  worse. 
From  this  time  both  Hector  and  Bertha  conceived  for 
him  the  most  tender  devotion.  Did  they  think  they 
should  thus  in  some  sort  expiate  their  crime?  It  is 
doubtful.  More  likely  they  tried  to  impose  on  the  peo- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        223 

pie  about  them ;  everyone  was  anxious  for  Sauvresy. 
They  never  deserted  him  for  a  moment,  passing  the 
night  by  turns  near  his  bed.  And  it  was  painful  to 
watch  over  him ;  a  furious  delirium  never  left  him.  Sev- 
eral times  force  had  to  be  used  to  keep  him  on  the 
bed ;  he  tried  to  throw  himself  out  of  the  window.  The 
third  day  he  had  a  strange  fancy ;  he  did  not  wish  to 
stay  in  his  chamber.  He  kept  crying  out : 

"  Carry  me  away  from  here,  carry  me  away  from 
here." 

The  doctor  advised  that  he  should  be  humored ;  so 
a  bed  was  made  up  for  him  in  a  little  room  on  the 
ground-floor,  overlooking  the  garden.  His  wander- 
ings did  not  betray  anything  of  his  suspicions ;  perhaps 
the  firm  will  was  able  even  to  control  the  delirium.  The 
fever  finally  yielded  on  the  ninth  day.  His  breathing 
became  calmer,  and  he  slept.  When  he  awoke,  reason 
had  returned.  That  was  a  frightful  moment.  He  had, 
so  to  speak,  to  take  up  the  burden  of  his  misery.  At 
first  he  thought  it  the  memory  of  a  horrid  night-mare ; 
but  no.  He  had  not  dreamed.  He  recalled  the  Belle 
Image,  Jenny,  the  forest,  the  letter.  What  had  become 
of  the  letter?  Then,  having  the  vague  impression  of  a 
serious  illness,  he  asked  himself  if  he  had  said  anything 
to  betray  the  source  of  his  misery.  This  anxiety  pre- 
vented his  making  the  slightest  movement,  and  he 
opened  his  eyes  softly  and  cautiously.  It  was  eleven 
at  night,  and  all  the  servants  had  gone  to  bed.  Hec- 
tor and  Bertha  alone  were  keeping  watch ;  he  was  read- 
ing a  paper,  she  was  crocheting.  Sauvresy  saw  by  their 
placid  countenances  that  he  had  betrayed  nothing.  He 
moved  slightly ;  Bertha  at  once  arose  and  came  to  him. 

"  How  are  you,  dear  Clement?  "  asked  she,  kissing 
him  fondly  on  the  forehead. 


224        THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL 

"  I  am  no  longer  in  pain." 

"  You  see  the  result  of  being  careless." 

"  How  many  days  have  I  been  sick  ?  " 

"  Eight  days."   ' 

"  Why  was  I  brought  here  ?  " 

"  Because  you  wished  it." 

Tremorel  had  approached  the  bedside. 

"  You  refused  to  stay  upstairs,"  said  he,  "  you  were 
ungovernable  till  we  had  you  brought  here." 

"Ah!" 

"  But  don't  tire  yourself,"  resumed  Hector.  "  Go 
to  sleep  again,  and  you  will  be  well  by  to-morrow. 
And  good-night,  for  I  am  going  to  bed  now,  and  shall 
return  and  wake  your  wife  at  four  o'clock." 

He  went  out,  and  Bertha,  having  given  Sauvresy 
something  to  drink,  returned  to  her  seat. 

"  What  a  friend  Tremorel  is,"  murmured  she. 

Sauvresy  did  not  answer  this  terribly  ironical  ex- 
clamation. He  shut  his  eyes,  pretended  to  sleep,  and 
thought  of  the  letter.  What  had  he  done  with  it  ?  He 
remembered  that  he  had  carefully  folded  it  and  put 
it  in  the  right-hand  pocket  of  his  vest.  He  must  have 
this  letter.  It  would  balk  his  vengeance,  should  it  fall 
into  his  wife's  hands ;  and  this  might  happen  at  any 
moment.  It  was  a  miracle  that  his  valet  had  not  put  it 
on  the  mantel,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do  with  the 
things  which  he  found  in  his  master's  pockets.  He 
was  reflecting  on  some  means  of  getting  it,  of  the  pos- 
sibility of  going  up  to  his  bedroom,  where  his  vest 
ought  to  be,  when  Bertha  got  up  softly.  She  came  to 
the  bed  and  whispered  gently: 

"  Clement,  Clement !  " 

He  did  not  open  his  eyes,  and  she,  persuaded  that 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        225 

he  was  sleeping,  though  very  lightly,  stole  out  of  the 
room,  holding  her  breath  as  she  went 

"  Oh,  the  wretch !  "  muttered  Sauvresy,  "  she  is 
going  to  him! " 

At  the  same  time  the  necessity  of  recovering  the  let- 
ter occurred  to  him  more  vividly  than  ever. 

"  I  can  get  to  my  room,"  thought  he,  "  without  being 
seen,  by  the  garden  and  back-stairs.  She  thinks  I'm 
asleep ;  I  shall  get  back  and  abed  before  she  returns." 

Then,  without  asking  himself  whether  he  were  not 
too  feeble,  or  what  danger  there  might  be  in  exposing 
himself  to  the  cold,  he  got  up,  threw  a  gown  around 
him,  put  on  his  slippers  and  went  toward  the  door. 

"  If  anyone  sees  me,  I  will  feign  delirium,"  said  he  to 
himself. 

The  vestibule  lamp  was  out  and  he  found  some  diffi- 
culty in  opening  the  door;  finally,  he  descended  into 
the  garden.  It  was  intensely  cold,  and  snow  had 
fallen.  The  wind  shook  the  limbs  of  the  trees  crusted 
with  ice.  The  front  of  the  house  was  sombre.  One 
window  only  was  lighted — that  of  Tremorel's  room ; 
that  was  lighted  brilliantly,  by  a  lamp  and  a  great 
blazing  fire.  The  shadow  of  a  man — of  Hector — rested 
on  the  muslin  curtains;  the  shape  was  distinct.  He 
was  near  the  window,  and  his  forehead  was  pressed 
against  the  panes.  Sauvresy  instinctively  stopped  to 
look  at  his  friend,  who  was  so  at  home  in  his  house, 
and  who,  in  exchange  for  the  most  brotherly  hospital- 
ity, had  brought  dishonor,  despair  and  death. 

Hector  made  a  sudden  movement,  and  turned 
around  as  if  he  was  surprised  by  an  unwonted  noise. 
What  was  it  ?  Sauvresy  only  knew  too  well.  Another 
shadow  appeared  on  the  curtain — that  of  Bertha.  And 
he  had  forced  himself  to  doubt  till  now !  Now  proofs 


226        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

had  come  without  his  seeking.  What  had  brought  her 
to  that  room,  at  that  hour?  She  seemed  to  be  talking 
excitedly.  He  thought  he  could  hear  that  full,  sono- 
rous voice,  now  as  clear  as  metal,  now  soft  and  caress- 
ing, which  had  made  all  the  chords  of  passion  vibrate 
in  him.  He  once  more  saw  those  beautiful  eyes  which 
had  reigned  so  despotically  over  his  heart,  and  whose 
expressions  he  knew  so  well.  But  what  was  she  doing  ? 
Doubtless  she  had  gone  to  ask  Hector  something, 
which  he  refused  her,  and  she  was  pleading  with  him ; 
Sauvresy  saw  that  she  was  supplicating,  by  her  mo- 
tions ;  he  knew  the  gesture  well.  She  lifted  her  clasped 
hands  as  high  as  her  forehead,  bent  her  head,  half  shut 
her  eyes.  What  languor  had  been  in  her  voice  when 
she  used  to  say : 

"  Say,  dear  Clement,  you  will,  will  you  not  ?  " 
And  now  she  was  using  the  same  blandishments  on 
another.     Sauvresy  was    obliged  to  support    himself 
against  a  tree.    Hector  was  evidently  refusing  what  she 
wished;  then  she  shook  her  finger  menacingly,  and 
tossed  her  head  angrily,  as  if  she  were  saying : 
"  You  won't  ?    You  shall  see,  then." 
And  then  she  returned  to  her  supplications. 
"  Ah,"    thought    Sauvresy.     "  he    can    resist    her 
prayers;  /  never  had  such  courage.    He  can  preserve 
his  coolness,  his  will,  when  she  looks  at  him ;  I  never 
said  no  to  her ;  rather,  I  never  waited  for  her  to  ask  any- 
thing of  me;  I  have  passed  my  life  in  watching  her 
lightest  fancies,  to  gratify  them.    Perhaps  that  is  what 
has  ruined  me !  " 

Hector  was  obstinate,  and  Bertha  was  roused  little 
by  little ;  she  must  be  angry.  She  recoiled,  holding  out 
her  arms,  her  head  thrown  back ;  she  was  threatening 
him.  At  last  he  was  conquered ;  he  nodded,  "  Yes." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        227 

Then  she  flung  herself  upon  him,  and  the  two  shadows 
were  confounded  in  a  long  embrace. 

Sauvresy  could  not  repress  an  agonized  cry,  which 
was  lost  amid  the  noises  of  the  night.  He  had  asked 
for  certainty;  here  it  was.  The  truth,  indisputable, 
evident,  was  clear  to  him.  He  had  to  seek  for  noth- 
ing more,  now,  except  for  the  means  to  punish  surely 
and  terribly.  Bertha  and  Hector  were  talking  ami- 
cably. Sauvresy  saw  that  she  was  about  to  go  down- 
stairs, and  that  he  could  not  now  go  for  the  letter.  He 
went  in  hurriedly,  forgetting,  in  his  fear  of  being  dis- 
covered, to  lock  the  garden  door.  He  did  not  per- 
ceive that  he  had  been  standing  with  naked  feet  in  the 
snow,  till  he  had  returned  to  his  bedroom  again ;  he 
saw  some  flakes  on  his  slippers,  and  they  were  damp ; 
quickly  he  threw  them  under  the  bed,  and  jumped  in 
between  the  clothes,  and  pretended  to  be  asleep. 

It  was  time,  for  Bertha  soon  came  in.  She  went  to 
the  bed,  and  thinking  that  he  had. not  woke  up,  returned 
to  her  embroidery  by  the  fire.  Tremorel  also  soon  re- 
appeared ;  he  had  forgotten  to  take  his  paper,  and  had 
come  back  for  it.  He  seemed  uneasy. 

"  Have  you  been  out  to-night,  Madame  ?  "  asked  he, 
in  a  low  voice. 

"  No." 

"  Have  all  the  servants  gone  to  bed  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so ;  but  why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Since  I  have  been  upstairs,  somebody  has  gotie  out 
into  the  garden,  and  come  back  again." 

Bertha  looked  at  him  with  a  troubled  glance. 

"  Are  you  sure  -of  what  you  say  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  Snow  is  falling,  and  whoever  went  out 
brought  some  back  on  his  shoes.  This  has  melted  in 
the  vestibule " 


228        THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

Mme.  Sauvresy  seized  the  lamp,  and  interrupting 
Hector,  said: 

"  Come." 

Tremorel  was  right.  Here  and  there  on  the  vesti- 
bule pavement  were  little  puddles. 

"  Perhaps  this  water  has  been  here  some  time,"  sug- 
gested Bertha. 

"  No.  It  was  not  there  an  hour  ago,  I  could  swear. 
Besides,  see,  here  is  a  little  snow  that  has  not  melted 
yet." 

"  It  must  have  been  one  of  the  servants." 

Hector  went  to  the  door  and  examined  it. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  said  he.  "  A  servant  would  have 
shut  the  bolts ;  here  they  are,  drawn  back.  Yet  I  my- 
self shut  the  door  to-night,  and  distinctly  recollect  fast- 
ening the  bolts." 

"  It's  very  strange !  " 

"  And  all  the  more  so,  look  you,  because  the  traces 
of  the  water  do  not  go  much  beyond  the  drawing- 
room  door." 

They  remained  silent,  and  exchanged  anxious  looks. 
The  same  terrible  thought  occurred  to  them  both. 

"If  it  were  he?" 

But  why  should  he  have  gone  into  the  garden  ?  It 
could  not  have  been  to  spy  on  them. 

They  did  not  think  of  the  window. 

"  It  couldn't  have  been  Clement,"  said  Bertha,  at  last. 
"  He  was  asleep  when  I  went  back,  and  he  is  in  a  calm 
and  deep  slumber  now." 

Sauvresy,  stretched  upon  his  bed,  heard  what  his 
enemies  were  saying.  He  cursed  his  imprudence. 

"  Suppose,"  thought  he,  "  they  should  think  of  look- 
ing at  my  gown  and  slippers !  " 

Happily  this  simple  idea  did  not  occur  to  them  ;  after 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        229 

reassuring  each  other  as  well  as  they  were  able,  they 
separated ;  but  each  heart  carried  an  anxious  doubt. 
Sauvresy  on  that  night  had  a  terrible  crisis  in  his  ill- 
ness. Delirium,  succeeding  this  ray  of  reason,  renewed 
its  possession  of  his  brain.  The  next  morning  Dr. 

R pronounced  him  in  more  danger  than  ever ;  and 

sent  a  despatch  to  Paris,  saying  that  he  would  be  de- 
tained at  Valfeuillu  three  or  four  days.  The  distemper 
redoubled  in  violence;  very  contradictory  symptoms 
appeared.  Each  day  brought  some  new  phase  of  it, 
which  confounded  the  foresight  of  the  doctors.  Every 
time  that  Sauvresy  had  a  moment  of  reason,  the  scene 
at  the  window  recurred  to  him,  and  drove  him  to  mad- 
ness again. 

On  that  terrible  night  when  he  had  gone  out  into  the 
snow,  he  had  not  been  mistaken;  Bertha  was  really 
begging  something  of  Hector.  This  was  it : 

M.  Courtois,  the  mayor,  had  invited  Hector  to  ac- 
company himself  and  his  family  on  an  excursion  to 
Fontainebleau  on  the  following  day.  Hector  had  cor- 
dially accepted  the  invitation.  Bertha  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  his  spending  the  day  in  Laurence's  com- 
pany, and  begged  him  not  to  go.  She  told  him  there 
were  plenty  of  excuses  to  relieve  him  from  his  prom- 
ise ;  for  instance,  he  might  urge  that  it  would  not  be 
seemly  for  him  to  go  when  his  friend  lay  dangerously 
ill.  At  first  he  positively  refused  to  grant  her  prayer, 
but  by  her  supplications  and  menaces  she  persuaded 
him,  and  she  did  not  go  downstairs  until  he  had  sworn 
that  he  would  write  to  M.  Courtois  that  very  evening 
declining  the  invitation.  He  kept  his  word,  but  he  was 
disgusted  by  her  tyrannical  behavior.  He  was  tired  of 
forever  sacrificing  his  wishes  and  his  liberty,  so  that  he 
could  plan  nothing,  say  or  promise  nothing  without 


23o        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

consulting  this  jealous  woman,  who  would  scarcely  let 
him  wander  out  of  her  sight.  The  chain  became 
heavier  and  heavier  to  bear,  and  he  began  to  see  that 
sooner  or  later  it  must  be  wrenched  apart.  He  had 
never  loved  either  Bertha  or  Jenny,  or  anyone,  proba- 
bly; but  he  now  loved  the  mayor's  daughter.  Her 
dowry  of  a  million  had  at  first  dazzled  him,  but  little  by 
little  he  had  been  subdued  by  Laurence's  charms  of 
mind  and  person.  He,  the  dissipated  rake,  was  seduced 
by  such  grave  and  naive  innocence,  such  frankness  and 
beauty ;  he  would  have  married  Laurence  had  she  been 
poor — as  Sauvresy  married  Bertha.  But  he  feared 
Bertha  too  much  to  brave  her  suddenly,  and  so  he 
waited.  The  next  day  after  the  quarrel  about  Fontaine- 
bleau,  he  declared  that  he  was  indisposed,  attributed 
it  to  the  want  of  exercise,  and  took  to  the  saddle  for 
several  hours  every  day  afterward.  But  he  did  not  go 
far ;  only  to  the  mayor's.  Bertha  at  first  did  not  per- 
ceive anything  suspicious  in  Tremorel's  rides ;  it  re- 
assured her  to  see  him  go  off  on  his  horse.  After  some 
days,  however,  she  thought  she  saw  in  him  a  certain 
feeling  of  satisfaction  concealed  under  the  semblance 
of  fatigue.  She  began  to  have  doubts,  and  these  in- 
creased every  time  he  went  out ;  all  sorts  of  conjectures 
worried  her  while  he  was  away.  Where  did  he  go? 
Probably  to  see  Laurence,  whom  she  feared  and  de- 
tested. The  suspicion  soon  became  a  certainty  with 
her.  One  evening  Hector  appeared,  carrying  in  his 
button-hole  a  flower  which  Laurence  herself  had  put 
there,  and  which  he  had  forgotten  to  take  out.  Bertha 
took  it  gently,  examined  it,  smelt  it,  and,  compelling 
herself  to  smile : 
"  Why,"  said  she,  "  what  a  pretty  flower !  " 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        231 

"  So  I  thought,"  answered  Hector,  carelessly, 
"  though  I  don't  know  what  it  is  called." 

"  Would  it  be  bold  to  ask  who  gave  it  to  you  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.    It's  a  present  from  our  good  Plantat." 

All  Orcival  knew  that  M.  Plantat,  a  monomaniac  on 
flowers,  never  gave  them  away  to  anyone  except  Mile. 
Laurence.  Hector's  evasion  was  an  unhappy  one,  and 
Bertha  was  not  deceived. 

"  You  promised  me,  Hector,"  said  she,  "  not  to  see 
Laurence  any  more,  and  to  give  up  this  marriage." 

He  tried  to  reply. 

"  Let  me  speak,"  she  continued,  "  and  explain  your- 
self afterward.  You  have  broken  your  word — you  are 
deceiving  my  confidence !  But  I  tell  you,  you  shall 
not  marry  her !  "  Then,  without  awaiting  his  reply,  she 
overwhelmed  him  with  reproaches.  Why  had  he  come 
here  at  all?  She  was  happy  in  her  home  before  she 
knew  him.  She  did  not  love  Sauvresy,  it  was  true; 
but  she  esteemed  him,  and  he  was  good  to  her.  Igno- 
rant of  the  happiness  of  true  love,  she  did  not  desire  it. 
But  he  had  come,  and  she  could  not  resist  his  fascina- 
tion. And  now,  after  having  engaged  her  affection,  he 
was  going  to  desert  her,  to  marry  another !  Tremorel 
listened  to  her,  perfectly  amazed  at  her  audacity. 
What !  She  dared  to  pretend  that  it  was  he  who  had 
abused  her  innocence,  when,  on  the  contrary,  he  had 
sometimes  been  astonished  at  her  persistency !  Such 
was  the  depth  of  her  corruption,  as  it  seemed  to  him, 
that  he  wondered  whether  he  were  her  first  or  her  twen- 
tieth lover.  And  she  had  so  led  him  on,  and  had  so 
forcibly  made  him  feel  the  intensity  of  her  will,  that  he 
had  been  fain  still  to  submit  to  this  despotism.  But 
he  had  now  determined  to  resist  on  the  first  opportu- 
nity ;  and  he  resisted. 


232        THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

"  Well,  yes,"  said  he,  frankly,  "  I  did  deceive  you ; 
I  have  no  fortune — this  marriage  will  give  me  one ;  I 
shall  get  married."  He  went  on  to  say  that  he  loved 
Laurence  less  than  ever,  but  that  he  coveted  her  money 
more  and  more  every  day.  "  To  prove  this,"  he  pur- 
sued, "  if  you  will  find  me  to-morrow  a  girl  who 
has  twelve  hundred  thousand  francs  instead  of  a  mill- 
ion, I  will  marry  her  in  preference  to  Mademoiselle 
Courtois." 

She  had  never  suspected  he  had  so  much  courage. 
She  had  so  long  moulded  him  like  soft  wax,  and  this 
unexpected  conduct  disconcerted  her.  She  was  indig- 
nant, but  at  the  same  time  she  felt  that  unhealthy  satis- 
faction that  some  women  feel,  when  they  meet  a  master 
who  subdues  them ;  and  she  admired  Tremorel  more 
than  ever  before.  This  time,  he  had  taken  a  tone  which 
conquered  her ;  she  despised  him  enough  to  think  him 
quite  capable  of  marrying  for  money.  When  he  had 
done,  she  said : 

"  It's  really  so,  then ;  you  only  care  for  the  million 
of  dowry  ?  " 

"  I've  sworn  it  to  you  a  hundred  times." 
"  Truly  now,  don't  you  love  Laurence  ?  " 
"  I  have  never  loved  her,  and  never  shall." 
He  thought  that  he  would  thus  secure  his  peace  until 
the  wedding-day;    once  married,  he  cared  not  what 
would  happen.    What  cared  he  for  Sauvresy  ?    Life  is 
only  a  succession  of  broken  friendships.     What  is  a 
friend,  after  all  ?    One  who  can  and  ought  to  serve  you. 
Ability  consists  in  breaking  with  people,  when  they 
cease  to  be  useful  to  you. 
Bertha  reflected. 

"  Hear  me,  Hector,"  said  she  at  last.  "  I  cannot 
calmly  resign  myself  to  the  sacrifice  which  you  demand. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL        233 

Let  me  have  but  a  few  days,  to  accustom  myself  to  this 
dreadful  blow.  You  owe  me  as  much — let  Clement 
get  well,  first." 

He  did  not  expect  to  see  her  so  gentle  and  subdued ; 
who  would  have  looked  for  such  concessions,  so  easily 
obtained  ?  The  idea  of  a  snare  did  not  occur  to  him. 
In  his  delight  he  betrayed  how  he  rejoiced  in  his  lib- 
erty, which  ought  to  have  undeceived  Bertha;  but 
she  did  not  perceive  it.  He  grasped  her  hand,  and 
cried: 

"  Ah,  you  are  very  good — you  really  love  me." 

XIX 

The  Count  de  Tremorel  did  not  anticipate  that  the 
respite  which  Bertha  begged  would  last  long.  Sau- 
vresy  had  seemed  better  during  the  last  week.  He  got 
up  every  day,  and  commenced  to  go  about  the  house ; 
he  even  received  numerous  visits  from  the  neighbors ; 
without  apparent  fatigue.  But  alas,  the  master  of  Val- 
feuillu  was  only  the  shadow  of  himself.  His  friends 
would  never  have  recognized  in  that  emaciated  form 
and  white  face,  and  burning,  haggard  eye,  the  robust 
young  man  with  red  lips  and  beaming  visage  whom 
they  remembered.  He  had  suffered  so!  He  did  not 
wish  to  die  before  avenging  himself  on  the  wretches 
who  had  filched  his  happiness  and  his  life.  But  what 
punishment  should  he  inflict  ?  This  fixed  idea  burning 
in  his  brain,  gave  his  look  a  fiery  eagerness.  Ordina- 
rily, there  are  three  modes  in  which  a  betrayed  husband 
may  avenge  himself.  He  has  the  right,  and  it  is  al- 
most a  duty — to  deliver  the  guilty  ones  up  to  the  law, 
which  is  on  his  side.  He  may  adroitly  watch  them,  sur- 
prise them  and  kill  them.  There  is  a  law  which  does 


234        THE    MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

not  absolve,  but  excuses  him,  in  this.  Lastly,  he  may 
affect  a  stolid  indifference,  laugh  the  first  and  loudest 
at  his  misfortune,  drive  his  wife  from  his  roof,  and  leave 
her  to  starve.  But  what  poor,  wretched  methods  of 
vengeance.  Give  up  his  wife  to  the  law?  Would  not 
that  be  to  offer  his  name,  honor,  and  life  to  public  ridi- 
cule? To  put  himself  at  the  mercy  of  a  lawyer,  who 
would  drag  him  through  the  mire.  They  do  not  defend 
the  erring  wife,  they  attack  her  husband.  And  what 
satisfaction  would  he  get  ?  Bertha  and  Tremorel  would 
be  condemned  to  a  year's  imprisonment,  perhaps  eigh- 
teen months,  possibly  two  years.  It  seemed  to  him 
simpler  to  kill  them.  He  might  go  in,  fire  a  revolver 
at  them,  and  they  would  not  have  time  to  comprehend 
it,  for  their  agony  would  be  but  for  a  moment ;  and 
then?  Then,  he  must  become  a  prisoner,  submit  to  a 
trial,  invoke  the  judge's  mercy,  and  risk  conviction. 
As  to  turning  his  wife  out  of  doors,  that  was  to  hand 
her  over  quietly  to  Hector.  He  imagined  them  leav- 
ing Valfeuillu,  hand  in  hand,  happy  and  smiling,  and 
laughing  in  his  face.  At  this  thought  he  had  a  fit  of 
cold  rage ;  his  self-esteem  adding  the  sharpest  pains 
to  the  wounds  in  his  heart.  None  of  these  vulgar  meth- 
ods could  satisfy  him.  He  longed  for  some  revenge 
unheard-of,  strange,  monstrous,  as  his  tortures  were. 
Then  he  thought  of  all  the  horrible  tales  he  had  read, 
seeking  one  to  his  purpose ;  he  had  a  right  to  be  par- 
ticular, and  he  was  determined  to  wait  until  he  was 
|  satisfied.  There  was  only  one  thing  that  could  balk 
his  progress — Jenny's  letter.  What  had  become  of  it  ? 
Had  he  lost  it  in  the  woods?  He  had  looked  for  it 
everywhere,  and  could  not  find  it. 

He  accustomed  himself,  however,  to  feign,  finding 
a  sort  of  fierce  pleasure  in  the  constraint.    He  learned 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        235 

to  assume  a  countenance  which  completely  hid  his 
thoughts.  He  submitted  to  his  wife's  caresses  without 
an  apparent  shudder ;  and  shook  Hector  by  the  hand 
as  heartily  as  ever.  In  the  evening,  when  they  were 
gathered  about  the  drawing-room  table,  he  was  the 
gayest  of  the  three.  He  built  a  hundred  air-castles, 
pictured  a  hundred  pleasure-parties,  when  he  was  able 
to  go  abroad  again.  Hector  rejoiced  at  his  returning 
health. 

"  Clement  is  getting  on  finely,"  said  he  to  Bertha, 
one  evening. 

She  understood  only  too  well  what  he  meant. 

"  Always  thinking  of  Laurence  ?  " 

"  Did  you  not  permit  me  to  hope?  " 

"  I  asked  you  to  wait,  Hector,  and  you  have  done 
well  not  to  be  in  a  hurry.  I  know  a  young  girl  who 
would  bring  you,  not  one,  but  three  millions  as  dowry." 

This  was  a  painful  surprise.  He  really  had  no 
thoughts  for  anyone  but  Laurence,  and  now  a  new  ob- 
stacle presented  itself. 

"And  who  is  that?" 

She  leaned  over,  and  whispered  tremblingly  in  his 
ear: 

"  I  am  Clement's  sole  heiress ;  perhaps  he'll  die ;  I 
might  be  a  widow  to-morrow." 

Hector  was  petrified. 

"  But  Sauvresy,  thank  God !  is  getting  well  fast." 

Bertha  fixed  her  large,  clear  eyes  upon  him,  and 
with  frightful  calmness  said : 

"  What  do  you  know  about  it  ?  " 

Tremorel  dared  not  ask  what  these  strange  words 
meant.  He  was  one  of  those  men  who  shun  explana- 
tions, and  who,  rather  than  put  themselves  on  their 
guard  in  time,  permit  themselves  to  be  drawn  on  by 


236        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

circumstances ;  soft  and  feeble  beings,  who  deliberately 
bandage  their  eyes  so  as  not  to  see  the  danger  which 
threatens  them,  and  who  prefer  the  sloth  of  doubt,  and 
acts  of  uncertainty  to  a  definite  and  open  position, 
which  they  have  not  the  courage  to  face. 

Besides,  Hector  experienced  a  childish  satisfaction 
in  seeing  Bertha's  distress,  though  he  feared  and  de- 
tested her.  He  conceived  a  great  opinion  of  his  own 
value  and  merit,  when  he  saw  the  persistency  and  des- 
peration with  which  she  insisted  on  keeping  her  hold  on 
him. 

"  Poor  woman !  "  thought  he.  "  In  her  grief  at  los- 
ing me,  and  seeing  me  another's,  she  has  begun  to  wish 
for  her  husband's  death  !  " 

Such  was  the  torpor  of  his  moral  sense  that  he  did 
not  see  the  vileness  of  Bertha's  and  his  own  thoughts. 

Meanwhile  Sauvresy's  state  was  not  reassuring  for 
Hector's  hopes  and  plans.  On  the  very  day  when  he 
had  this  conversation  with  Bertha,  her  husband  was 
forced  to  take  to  his  bed  again.  This  relapse  took  place 
after  he  had  drank  a  glass  of  quinine  and  water, 
which  he  had  been  accustomed  to  take  just  before  sup- 
per; only,  this  time,  the  symptoms  changed  entirely, 
as  if  one  malady  had  yielded  to  another  of  a  very  dif- 
ferent kind.  He  complained  of  a  pricking  in  his  skin, 
of  vertigo,  of  convulsive  twitches  which  contracted  and 
twisted  his  limbs,  especially  his  arms.  He  cried  out 
with  excruciating  neuralgic  pains  in  the  face.  He  was 
seized  with  a  violent,  persistent,  tenacious  craving  for 
pepper,  which  nothing  could  assuage.  He  was  sleep- 
less, and  morphine  in  large  doses  failed  to  bring  him 
slumber ;  while  he  felt  an  intense  chill  within  him,  as 
if  the  body's  temperature  were  gradually  diminishing. 
Delirium  had  completely  disappeared,  and  the  sick  man 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        237 

retained  perfectly  the  clearness  of  his  mind.  Sauvresy 
bore  up  wonderfully  under  his  pains,  and  seemed  to 
take  a  new  interest  in  the  business  of  his  estates.  He 
was  constantly  in  consultation  with  bailiffs  and  agents, 
and  shut  himself  up  for  days  together  with  notaries  and 
attorneys.  Then,  saying  that  he  must  have  distractions, 
he  received  all  his  friends,  and  when  no  one  called,  he 
sent  for  some  acquaintance  to  come  and  chat  with  him 
in  order  to  forget  his  illness.  He  gave  no  hint  of  what 
he  was  doing  and  thinking,  and  Bertha  was  devoured 
by  anxiety.  She  often  watched  for  her  husband's  agent, 
when,  after  a  conference  of  several  hours,  he  came  out 
of  his  room  ;  and  making  herself  as  sweet  and  fascinat- 
ing as  possible,  she  used  all  her  cunning  to  find  out 
something  which  would  enlighten  her  as  to  what  he  was 
about.  But  no  one  could,  or  at  least  would,  satisfy  her 
curiosity ;  all  gave  evasive  replies,  as  if  Sauvresy  had 
cautioned  them,  or  as  if  there  were  nothing  to  tell. 

No  complaints  were  heard  from  Sauvresy.  He 
talked  constantly  of  Bertha  and  Hector ;  he  wished  all 
the  world  to  know  their  devotion  to  him ;  he  called 
them  his  "  guardian  angels,"  and  blessed  Heaven  that 
had  given  him  such  a  wife  and  such  a  friend.  Sau- 
vresy's  illness  now  became  so  serious  that  Tremorel 
began  to  despair ;  he  became  alarmed ;  what  position 
would  his  friend's  death  leave  him  in  ?  Bertha,  having 
become  a  widow,  would  be  implacable.  He  resolved  to 
find  out  her  inmost  thoughts  at  the  first  opportunity ; 
she  anticipated  him,  and  saved  him  the  trouble  of 
broaching  the  subject.  One  afternoon,  when  they 
were  alone,  M.  Plantat  being  in  attendance  at  the  sick 
man's  bedside,  Bertha  commenced. 

"  I  want  some  advice,  Hector,  and  you  alone  can 
give  it  to  me.  How  can  I  find  out  whether  Clement, 


238        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

within  the  past  day  or  two,  has  not  changed  his  will  in 
regard  to  me  ?  " 

"His  will?" 

"  Yes,  I've  already  told  you  that  by  a  will  of  which 
I  myself  have  a  copy,  Sauvresy  has  left  me  his  whole 
fortune.  I  fear  that  he  may  perhaps  revoke  it." 

"What  an  idea!" 

"  Ah,  I  have  reasons  for  my  apprehensions.  What 
are  all  these  agents  and  attorneys  doing  at  Valfeuillu  ? 
A  stroke  of  this  man's  pen  may  ruin  me.  Don't  you 
see  that  he  can  deprive  me  of  his  millions,  and  reduce 
me  to  my  dowry  of  fifty  thousand  francs  ?  " 

"  But  he  will  not  do  it ;  he  loves  you " 

"  Are  you  sure  of  it  ?  I've  told  you,  there  are  three 
millions ;  I  must  have  this  fortune — not  for  myself,  but 
for  you  ;  I  want  it,  I  must  have  it !  But  how  can  I  find 
out — how  ?  how  ?  " 

Hector  was  very  indignant.  It  was  to  this  end,  then, 
that  his  delays  had  conducted  him !  She  thought  that 
she  had  a  right  now  to  dispose  of  him  in  spite  of  him- 
self, and,  as  it  were,  to  purchase  him.  And  he  could 
not,  dared  not,  say  anything ! 

"  We  must  be  patient,"  said  he,  "  and  wait " 

"  Wait— for  what  ?    Till  he's  dead  ?  " 

"  Don't  speak  so." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  Bertha  went  up  to  him,  and  in  a  low 
voice,  muttered : 

"  He  has  only  a  week  to  live ;  and  see  here " 

She  drew  a  little  vial  from  her  pocket,  and  held  it  up 
to  him. 

"  That  is  what  convinces  me  that  I  am  not  mistaken." 

Hector  became  livid,  and  could  not  stifle  a  cry  of  hor- 
ror. He  comprehended  all  now — he  saw  how  it  was 
that  Bertha  had  been  so  easily  subdued,  why  she  had 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        239 

refrained  from  speaking  of  Laurence,  her  strange 
words,  her  calm  confidence. 

"  Poison !  "  stammered  he,  confounded. 

"  Yes,  poison." 

"  You  have  not  used  it?  " 

She  fixed  a  hard,  stern  look  upon  him — the  look 
which  had  subdued  his  will,  against  which  he  had  strug- 
gled in  vain — and  in  a  calm  voice,  emphasizing  each 
word,  answered : 

"  I  have  used  it." 

The  count  was,  indeed,  a  dangerous  man,  unscrupu- 
lous, not  recoiling  from  any  wickedness  when  his  pas- 
sions were  to  be  indulged,  capable  of  everything ;  but 
this  horrible  crime  awoke  in  him  all  that  remained  of 
honest  energy. 

"  Well,"  he  cried,  in  disgust,  "  you  will  not  use  it 
again ! " 

He  hastened  toward  the  door,  shuddering;  she 
stopped  him. 

"  Reflect  before  you  act,"  said  she,  coldly.  "  I  will 
betray  the  fact  of  your  relations  with  me ;  who  will 
then  believe  that  you  are  not  my  accomplice  ?  " 

He  saw  the  force  of  this  terrible  menace,  coming 
from  Bertha. 

"  Come,"  said  she,  ironically,  "  speak — betray  me  if 
you  choose.  Whatever  happens,  for  happiness  or  mis- 
ery, we  shall  no  longer  be  separated ;  our  destinies  will 
be  the  same." 

Hector  fell  heavily  into  a  chair,  more  overwhelmed 
than  if  he  had  been  struck  with  a  hammer.  He  held 
his  bursting  forehead  between  his  hands ;  he  saw  him- 
self shut  up  in  an  infernal  circle,  without  outlet. 

"  I  am  lost !  "  he  stammered,  without  knowing  what 
he  said,  "  I  am  lost !  " 


240        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

He  was  to  be  pitied ;  his  face  was  terribly  haggard, 
great  drops  of  perspiration  stood  at  the  roots  of  his 
hair,  his  eyes  wandered  as  if  he  were  insane.  Bertha 
shook  him  rudely  by  the  arm,  for  his  cowardice  exas- 
perated her. 

"  You  are  afraid,"  she  said.  "  You  are  trembling ! 
Lost  ?  You  would  not  say  so,  if  you  loved  me  as  I  do 
you.  Will  you  be  lost  because  I  am  to  be  your  wife, 
because  we  shall  be  free  to  love  in  the  face  of  all  the 
world  ?  Lost !  Then  you  have  no  idea  of  what  I  have 
endured?  You  don't  know,  then,  that  I  am  tired  of 
suffering,  fearing,  feigning." 

"  Such  a  crime !  " 

She  burst  out  with  a  laugh  that  made  him  shudder. 

"  You  ought  to  have  said  so,"  said  she,  with  a  look 
full  of  contempt,  "  the  day  you  won  me  from  Sauvresy 
— the  day  that  you  stole  the  wife  of  this  friend  who 
saved  your  life.  Do  you  think  that  was  a  less  horrid 
crime?  You  knew  as  well  as  I  did  how  much  my  hus- 
band loved  me,  and  that  he  would  have  preferred  to 
die,  rather  than  lose  me  thus." 

"  But  he  knows  nothing,  suspects  nothing  of  it." 

"  You  are  mistaken  ;  Sauvresy  knows  all." 

"  Impossible  I  " 

"  All,  I  tell  you — and  he  has  known  all  since  that 
day  when  he  came  home  so  late  from  hunting.  Don't 
you  remember  that  I  noticed  his  strange  look,  and 
said  to  you  that  my  husband  suspected  something? 
You  shrugged  your  shoulders.  Do  you  forget  the 
steps  in  the  vestibule,  the  night  I  went  to  your  room  ? 
He  had  been  spying  on  us.  Well,  do  you  want  a  more 
certain  proof?  Look  at  this  letter,  which  I  found, 
crumpled  up  and  wet,  in  one  of  his  vest  pockets." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        241 

She  showed  him  the  letter  which  Sauvresy  had  forci- 
bly taken  from  Jenny,  and  he  recognized  it  well. 

"  It  is  a  fatality,"  said  he,  overwhelmed.  "  But  we 
can  separate  and  break  off  with  each  other.  Bertha,  I 
can  go  away." 

"  It's  too  late.  Believe  me,  Hector,  we  are  to-day 
defending  our  lives.  Ah,  you  don't  know  Clement! 
You  don't  know  what  the  fury  of  a  man  like  him  can 
be,  when  he  sees  that  his  confidence  has  been  outra- 
geously abused,  and  his  trust  vilely  betrayed.  If  he  has 
said  nothing  to  me,  and  has  not  let  us  see  any  traces  of 
his  implacable  anger,  it  is  because  he  is  meditating  some 
frightful  vengeance." 

This  was  only  too  probable,  and  Hector  saw  it  clearly. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  hoarse  voice ; 
he  was  almost  speechless. 

"  Find  out  what  change  he  has  made  in  his  will." 

"But  how?" 

"  I  don't  know  yet.  I  came  to  ask  your  advice,  and 
I  find  you  more  cowardly  than  a  woman.  Let  me  act, 
then ;  don't  do  anything  yourself;  I  will  do  all." 

He  essayed  an  objection. 

"  Enough,"  said  she.  "  He  must  not  ruin  us  after 
all— I  will  see— I  will  think." 

Someone  below  called  her.  She  went  down,  leaving 
Hector  overcome  with  despair. 

That  evening,  during  which  Bertha  seemed  happy 
and  smiling,  his  face  finally  betrayed  so  distinctly  the 
traces  of  his  anguish,  that  Sauvresy  tenderly  asked  him 
if  he  were  not  ill  ? 

"  You  exhaust  yourself  tending  on  me,  my  good 
Hector,"  said  he.  "  How  can  I  ever  repay  your  devo- 
tion?" 

Tremorel  had  not  the  strength  to  reply. 


242        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  And  that  man  knows  all,"  thought  he.  "  What 
courage !  What  fate  can  he  be  reserving  for  us  ?  " 

The  scene  which  was  passing  before  Hector's  eyes 
made  his  flesh  creep.  Every  time  that  Bertha  gave  her 
husband  his  medicine,  she  took  a  hair-pin  from  her 
tresses,  and  plunged  it  into  the  little  vial  which  she  had 
shown  him,  taking  up  thus  some  small,  white  grains, 
which  she  dissolved  in  the  potions  prescribed  by  the 
doctor. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  Tremorel,  enslaved  by  his 
horrid  position,  and  harassed  by  increasing  terror, 
would  renounce  forever  his  proposed  marriage  with 
Laurence.  Not  so.  He  clung  to  that  project  more 
desperately  than  ever.  Bertha's  threats,  the  great  ob- 
stacles now  intervening,  his  anguish,  crime,  only  aug- 
mented the  violence  of  his  love  for  her,  and  fed  the 
flame  of  his  ambition  to  secure  her  as  his  wife.  A  small 
and  flickering  ray  of  hope  which  lighted  the  darkness 
of  his  despair,  consoled  and  revived  him,  and  made  the 
present  more  easy  to  bear.  He  said  to  himself  that 
Bertha  could  not  be  thinking  of  marrying  him  the  day 
after  her  husband's  death.  Months,  a  whole  year  must 
pass,  and  thus  he  would  gain  time ;  then  some  day  he 
would  declare  his  will.  What  would  she  have  to  say? 
Would  she  divulge  the  crime,  and  try  to  hold  him  as 
her  accomplice?  Who  would  believe  her?  How 
could  she  prove  that  he,  who  loved  and  had  married 
another  woman,  had  any  interest  in  Sauvresy's  death  ? 
People  don't  kill  their  friends  for  the  mere  pleasure  of 
it.  Would  she  provoke  the  law  to  exhume  her  hus- 
band ?  She  was  now  in  a  position,  thought  he,  wherein 
she  could,  or  would  not  exercise  her  reason.  Later  on, 
she  would  reflect,  and  then  she  would  be  arrested  by 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        343 

the  probability  of  those  dangers,  the  certainty  of  which 
did  not  now  terrify  her. 

He  did  not  wish  that  she  should  ever  be  his  wife  at 
any  price.  He  would  have  detested  her  had  she  pos- 
sessed millions ;  he  hated  her  now  that  she  was  poor, 
ruined,  reduced  to  her  own  narrow  means.  And  that 
she  was  so,  there  was  no  doubt,  Sauvresy  indeed  knew 
all.  He  was  content  to  wait ;  he  knew  that  Laurence 
loved  him  enough  to  wait  for  him  one,  or  three  years, 
if  necessary.  He  already  had  such  absolute  power  over 
her,  that  she  did  not  try  to  combat  the  thoughts  of  him, 
which  gently  forced  themselves  on  her,  penetrated  to 
her  soul,  and  filled  her  mind  and  heart.  Hector  said 
to  himself  that  in  the  interest  of  his  designs,  perhaps  it 
was  well  that  Bertha  was  acting  as  she  did.  He  forced 
himself  to  stifle  his  conscience  in  trying  to  prove  that 
he  was  not  guilty.  Who  thought  of  this  crime  ?  Bertha. 
Who  was  executing  it?  She  alone.  He  could  only 
be  reproached  with  moral  complicity  in  it,  a  complicity 
involuntary,  forced  upon  him,  imposed  somehow  by 
the  care  for  his  own  life.  Sometimes,  however,  a  bitter 
remorse  seized  him.  He  could  have  understood  a  sud- 
den, violent,  rapid  murder;  could  have  explained  to 
himself  a  knife-stroke ;  but  this  slow  death,  given  drop 
by  drop,  horribly  sweetened  by  tenderness,  veiled  under 
kisses,  appeared  to  him  unspeakably  hideous.  He  was 
mortally  afraid  of  Bertha,  as  of  a  reptile,  and  when  she 
embraced  him  he  shuddered  from  head  to  foot. 

She  was  so  calm,  so  engaging,  so  natural ;  her  voice 
had  the  same  soft  and  caressing  tones,  that  he  could 
not  forget  it.  She  plunged  her  hair-pin  into  the  fatal 
vial  without  ceasing  her  conversation,  and  he  did  not 
surprise  her  in  any  shrinking  or  shuddering,  nor  even 
a  trembling  of  the  eyelids.  She  must  have  been  made 


244        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

of  brass.  Yet  he  thought  that  she  was  not  cautious 
enough,  and  that  she  put  herself  in  danger  of  discovery ; 
and  he  told  her  of  these  fears,  and  how  she  made  him 
tremble  every  moment. 

"  Have  confidence  in  me,"  she  answered.  "  I  want 
to  succeed — I  am  prudent." 

"  But  you  may  be  suspected." 

"By  whom?" 

"  Eh !  How  do  I  know  ?  Everyone — the  servants, 
the  doctor." 

"  No  danger.    And  suppose  they  did  suspect?  " 

"  They  would  make  examinations,  Bertha ;  they 
would  make  a  minute  scrutiny." 

She  gave  a  smile  of  the  most  perfect  security. 

"  They  might  examine  and  experiment  as  much  as 
they  pleased,  they  would  find  nothing.  Do  you  think 
I  am  such  a  fool  as  to  use  arsenic  ?  " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  hush !  " 

"  I  have  procured  one  of  those  poisons  which  are  as 
yet  unknown,  and  which  defy  all  analysis  ;  one  of  which 
many  doctors — and  learned  ones,  too — could  not  even 
tell  the  symptoms !  " 

"  But  where  did  you  get  this — this " 

He  dared  not  say,  "  poison." 

"  Who  gave  you  that?  "  resumed  he. 

"  What  matters  it  ?  I  have  taken  care  that  he  who 
gave  it  to  me  should  run  the  same  danger  as  myself, 
and  he  knows  it.  There's  nothing  to  fear  from  that 
quarter.  I've  paid  him  enough  to  smother  all  his  re- 
grets." 

An  objection  came  to  his  lips;  he  wanted  to  say, 
"  It's  too  slow ;  "  but  he  had  not  the  courage,  though 
she  read  his  thought  in  his  eyes. 

"  It  is  slow,  because  that  suits  me,"  said  she.    "  Be- 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        245 

fore  all,  I  must  know  about  the  will — and  that  I  am 
trying  to  find  out." 

She  occupied  herself  constantly  about  this  will,  and 
during  the  long  hours  that  she  passed  at  Sauvresy's 
bedside,  she  gradually,  with  the  greatest  craft  and  deli- 
cacy, led  her  husband's  mind  in  the  direction  of  his  last 
testament,  with  such  success  that  he  himself  mentioned 
the  subject  which  so  absorbed  Bertha. 

He  said  that  he  did  not  comprehend  why  people  did 
not  always  have  their  worldly  affairs  in  order,  and  their 
wishes  fully  written  down,  in  case  of  accident.  What 
difference  did  it  make  whether  one  were  ill  or  well? 
At  these  words  Bertha  attempted  to  stop  him.  Such 
ideas,  she  said,  pained  her  too  much.  She  even  shed 
real  tears,  which  fell  down  her  cheeks  and  made  her 
more  beautiful  and  irresistible  than  before ;  real  tears 
which  moistened  her  handkerchief. 

"  You  dear  silly  creature,"  said  Sauvresy,  "  do  you 
think  that  makes  one  die  ?  " 

"  No  ;  but  I  do  not  wish  it." 

"  But,  dear,  have  we  been  any  the  less  happy  be- 
cause, on  the  day  after  our  marriage,  I  made  a  will  be- 
queathing you  all  my  fortune  ?  And,  stop ;  you  have 
a  copy  of  it,  haven't  you  ?  If  you  were  kind,  you  would 
go  and  fetch  it  for  me." 

She  became  very  red,  then  very  pale.  Why  did  he 
ask  for  this  copy  ?  Did  he  want  to  tear  it  up  ?  A  sud- 
den thought  reassured  her;  people  do  not  tear  up  a 
document  which  can  be  cancelled  by  a  scratch  of  the 
pen  on  another  sheet  of  paper.  Still,  she  hesitated  a 
moment. 

"  I  don't  know  where  it  can  be." 

"  But  I  do.  It  is  in  the  left-hand  drawer  of  the  glass 
cupboard ;  come,  please  me  by  getting  it." 


246        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

While  she  was  gone,  Sauvresy  said  to  Hector : 

"  Poor  girl !  Poor  dear  Bertha !  If  I  died,  she  never 
would  survive  me !  " 

Tremorel  thought  of  nothing  to  reply ;  his  anxiety 
was  intense  and  visible. 

"  And  this  man,"  thought  he,  "  suspects  something ! 
No ;  it  is  not  possible." 

Bertha  returned. 

"  I  have  found  it,"  said  she. 

"  Give  it  to  me." 

He  took  the  copy  of  his  will,  and  read  it  with  evident 
satisfaction,  nodding  his  head  at  certain  passages  in 
which  he  referred  to  his  love  for  his  wife.  When  he 
had  finished  reading,  he  said : 

"  Now  give  me  a  pen  and  some  ink." 

Hector  and  Bertha  reminded  him  that  it  would 
fatigue  him  to  write  ;  but  he  insisted.  The  two  guilty 
ones,  seated  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  and  out  of  Sauvresy's 
sight,  exchanged  looks  of  alarm.  What  was  he  going 
to  write  ?  But  he  speedily  finished  it. 

"  Take  this,"  said  he  to  Tremorel,  "  and  read  aloud 
what  I  have  just  added." 

Hector  complied  with  his  friend's  request,  with  trem- 
bling voice : 

"  This  day,  being  sound  in  mind,  though  much  suf- 
fering, I  declare  that  I  do  not  wish  to  change  a  line  of 
this  will.  Never  have  I  loved  my  wife  more — never 
have  I  so  much  desired  to  leave  her  the  heiress  of  all 
I  possess,  should  I  die  before  her. 

"  CLEMENT  SAUVRESY." 

Mistress  of  herself  as  Bertha  was,  she  succeeded  in 
concealing  the  unspeakable  satisfaction  with  which  she 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        247 

was  filled.  All  her  wishes  were  accomplished,  and  yet 
she  was  able  to  veil  her  delight  under  an  apparent  sad- 
ness. 

"  Of  what  good  is  this  ?  "  said  she,  with  a  sigh. 

She  said  this,  but  half  an  hour  afterward,  when  she 
was  alone  with  Hector,  she  gave  herself  up  to  the  ex- 
travagance of  her  delight. 

"  Nothing  more  to  fear,"  exclaimed  she.  "  Nothing ! 
Now  we  shall  have  liberty,  fortune,  love,  pleasure,  life ! 
Why,  Hector,  we  shall  have  at  least  three  millions  ;  you 
see,  I  Ve  got  this  will  myself,  and  I  shall  keep  it.  No 
more  agents  or  notaries  shall  be  admitted  into  this 
house  henceforth.  Now  I  must  hasten !  " 

The  count  certainly  felt  a  satisfaction  in  knowing  her 
to  be  rich,  for  he  could  much  more  easily  get  rid  of  a 
millionnaire  widow  than  of  a  poor  penniless  woman. 
Sauvresy's  conduct  thus  calmed  many  sharp  anxieties. 
Her  restless  gayety,  however,  her  confident  security, 
seemed  monstrous  to  Hector.  He  would  have  wished 
for  more  solemnity  in  the  execution  of  the  crime ;  he 
thought  that  he  ought  at  least  to  calm  Bertha's  delirium. 

"  You  will  think  more  than  once  of  Sauvresy,"  said 
he,  in  a  graver  tone. 

She  answered  with  a  "  prrr,"  and  added  vivaciously : 

"  Of  him  ?  when  and  why  ?  Oh,  his  memory  will  not 
weigh  on  me  very  heavily.  I  trust  that  we  shall  be  able 
to  live  still  at  Valfeuillu,  for  the  place  pleases  me ;  but 
we  must  also  have  a  house  at  Paris — or  we  will  buy 
yours  back  again.  What  happiness,  Hector !  " 

The  mere  prospect  of  this  anticipated  felicity  so 
shocked  Hector,  that  his  better  self  for  the  moment  got 
the  mastery  ;  he  essayed  to  move  Bertha. 

"  For  the  last  time,"  said  he,  "  I  implore  you  to 
renounce  this  terrible,  dangerous  project.  You  see 


248        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

that  you  were  mistaken — that  Sauvresy  suspects  noth- 
ing, but  loves  you  as  well  as  ever." 

The  expression  of  Bertha's  face  suddenly  changed; 
she  sat  quite  still,  in  a  pensive  revery. 

"  Don't  let's  talk  any  more  of  that,"  said  she,  at  last. 
"  Perhaps  I  was  mistaken.  Perhaps  he  only  had  doubts 
— perhaps,  although  he  has  discovered  something,  he 
hopes  to  win  me  back  by  his  goodness.  But  you 
see " 

She  stopped.  Doubtless  she  did  not  wish  to  alarm 
him. 

He  was  already  much  alarmed.  The  next  day  he 
went  off  to  Melun  without  a  word,  being  unable  to  bear 
the  sight  of  this  agony,  and  fearing  to  betray  himself. 
But  he  left  his  address,  and  when  she  sent  word  that 
Sauvresy  was  always  crying  out  for  him,  he  hastily  re- 
turned. Her  letter  was  most  imprudent  and  absurd, 
and  made  his  hair  stand  on  end.  He  had  intended,  on 
his  arrival,  to  reproach  her;  but  it  was  she  who  up- 
braided him. 

"Why  this  flight?" 

"  I  could  not  stay  here — I  suffered,  trembled,  felt  as 
if  I  were  dying." 

"  What  a  coward  you  are !  " 

He  would  have  replied,  but  she  put  her  finger  on  his 
mouth,  and  pointed  with  her  other  hand  to  the  door 
of  the  next  room. 

"  Sh !  Three  doctors  have  been  in  consultation  there 
for  the  past  hour,  and  I  haven't  been  able  to  hear  a 
word  of  what  they  said.  Who  knows  what  they  are 
about  ?  I  shall  not  be  easy  till  they  go  away." 

Bertha's  fears  were  not  without  foundation.  When 
Sauvresy  had  his  last  relapse,  and  complained  of  a  se- 
vere neuralgia  in  the  face  and  an  irresistible  craving  for 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        249 

pepper.  Dr.  R had  uttered  a  significant  exclama- 
tion. It  was  nothing,  perhaps — yet  Bertha  had  heard 
it,  and  she  thought  she  surprised  a  sudden  suspicion  on 
the  doctor's  part ;  and  this  now  disturbed  her,  for  she 
thought  that  it  might  be  the  subject  of  the  consultation. 
The  suspicion,  however,  if  there  had  ever  been  any, 
quickly  vanished.  The  symptoms  entirely  changed 
twelve  hours  later,  and  the  next  day  the  sick  man  felt 
pains  quite  the  opposite  of  those  which  had  previously 
distressed  him.  This  very  inconstancy  of  the  distem- 
per served  to  puzzle  the  doctor's  conclusions.  Sau- 
vresy,  in  these  latter  days,  had  scarcely  suffered  at  all, 
he  said,  and  had  slept  well  at  night;  but  he  had,  at 
times,  strange  and  often  distressing  sensations.  He 
was  evidently  failing  hourly ;  he  was  dying — everyone 
perceived  it.  And  now  Dr.  R asked  for  a  consulta- 
tion, the  result  of  which  had  not  been  reached  when 
Tremorel  returned. 

The  drawing-room  door  at  last  swung  open,  and  the 
calm  faces  of  the  physicians  reassured  the  poisoner. 
Their  conclusions  were  that  the  case  was  hopeless; 
everything  had  been  tried  and  exhausted ;  no  human 
resources  had  been  neglected ;  the  only  hope  was  in 
Sauvresy's  strong  constitution. 

Bertha,  colder  than  marble,  motionless,  her  eyes  full 
of  tears,  seemed  so  full  of  grief  on  hearing  this  cruel 
decision,  that  all  the  doctors  were  touched. 

"  Is  there  no  hope  then?  Oh,  my  God !  "  cried  she, 
in  agonizing  tones. 

Dr.  R hardly  dared  to  attempt  to  comfort  her; 

he  answered  her  questions  evasively. 

"  We  must  never  despair,"  said  he,  "  when  the  in- 
valid is  of  Sauvresy's  age  and  constitution  ;  nature  often 
works  miracles  when  least  expected." 


250        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

The  doctor,  however,  lost  no  time  in  taking  Hector 
apart  and  begging  him  to  prepare  the  poor,  devoted, 
loving  young  lady  for  the  terrible  blow  about  to  ensue. 

"  For  you  see,"  added  he,  "  I  don't  think  Monsieur 
Sauvresy  can  live  more  than  two  days !  " 

Bertha,  with  her  ear  at  the  keyhole,  had  heard  the 
doctor's  prediction ;  and  when  Hector  returned  from 
conducting  the  physician  to  the  door,  he  found  her  radi- 
ant. She  rushed  into  his  arms. 

"  Now,"  cried  she,  "  the  future  truly  belongs  to  us. 
Only  one  black  point  obscured  our  horizon,  and  it  has 

cleared  away.  It  is  for  me  to  realize  Doctor  R 's 

prediction."  They  dined  together,  as  usual,  in  the  din- 
ing-room, while  one  of  the  chambermaids  remained  be- 
side the  sick-bed.  Bertha  was  full  of  spirits  which  she 
could  scarcely  control.  The  certainty  of  success  and 
safety,  the  assurance  of  reaching  the  end,  made  her 
imprudently  gay.  She  spoke  aloud,  even  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  servants,  of  her  approaching  liberty.  Dur- 
ing the  evening  she  was  more  reckless  than  ever.  If 
any  of  the  servants  should  have  a  suspicion,  or  a  shadow 
of  one,  she  might  be  discovered  and  lost.  Hector  con- 
stantly nudged  her  under  the  table  and  frowned  at  her, 
to  keep  her  quiet ;  he  felt  his  blood  run  cold  at  her  con- 
duct ;  all  in  vain.  There  are  times  when  the  armor  of 
hypocrisy  becomes  so  burdensome  that  one  is  forced, 
cost  what  it  may,  to  throw  it  off  if  only  for  an  instant. 

While  Hector  was  smoking  his  cigar,  Bertha  was 
more  freely  pursuing  her  dream.  She  was  thinking 
that  she  could  spend  the  period  of  her  mourning  at  Val- 
feuillu,  and  Hector,  for  the  sake  of  appearances,  would 
hire  a  pretty  little  house  somewhere  in  the  suburbs. 
The  worst  of  it  all  was  that  she  would  be  forced  to 
seem  to  mourn  for  Sauvresy,  as  she  had  pretended  to 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        251 

love  him  during  his  lifetime.  But  at  last  a  day  would 
come  when,  without  scandal,  she  might  throw  off  her 
mourning  clothes,  and  then  they  would  get  married. 
Where  ?  At  Paris  or  Orcival  ? 

Hector's  thoughts  ran  in  the  same  channel.  He,  too, 
wished  to  see  his  friend  under  the  ground  to  end  his 
own  terrors,  and  to  submit  to  Bertha's  terrible  yoke. 


XX 

Time  passed.  Hector  and  Bertha  repaired  to  Sau- 
vresy's  room ;  he  was  asleep.  They  noiselessly  took 
chairs  beside  the  fire,  as  usual,  and  the  maid  retired. 
In  order  that  the  sick  man  might  not  be  disturbed  by 
the  light  of  the  lamp,  curtains  had  been  hung  so  that, 
when  lying  down,  he  could  not  see  the  fireplace  and 
mantel.  In  order  to  see  these,  he  must  have  raised 
himself  on  his  pillow  and  leaned  forward  on  his  right 
arm.  But  now  he  was  asleep,  breathing  painfully,  fev- 
erish, and  shuddering  convulsively.  Bertha  and  Hec- 
tor did  not  speak ;  the  solemn  and  sinister  silence  was 
only  broken  by  the  ticking  of  the  clock,  or  by  the  leaves 
of  the  book  which  Hector  was  reading.  Ten  o'clock 
struck ;  soon  after  Sauvresy  moved,  turned  over,  and 
awoke.  Bertha  was  at  his  side  in  an  instant ;  she  saw 
that  his  eyes  were  open. 

"Do  you  feel  a  little  better,  dear  Clement?"  she 
asked. 

"  Neither  better  nor  worse." 

"  Do  you  want  anything?  " 

"  I  am  thirsty." 

Hector,  who  had  raised  his  eyes  when  his  friend 
spoke,  suddenly  resumed  his  reading. 


252        THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL 

Bertha,  standing  by  the  mantel,  began  to  prepare 

with  great  care  Dr.  R. 's  last  prescription;  when 

it  was  ready,  she  took  out  the  fatal  little  vial  as  usual, 
and  thrust  one  of  her  hair-pins  into  it. 

She  had  not  time  to  draw  it  out  before  she  felt  a 
light  touch  upon  her  shoulder.  A  shudder  shook  her 
from  head  to  foot ;  she  suddenly  turned  and  uttered  a 
loud  scream,  a  cry  of  terror  and  horror. 

"Oh!" 

The  hand  which  had  touched  her  was  her  husband's. 

While  she  was  busied  with  the  poison  at  the  mantel, 
Sauvresy  had  softly  raised  himself ;  more  softly  still,  he 
had  pulled  the  curtain  aside,  and  had  stretched  out  his 
arm  and  touched  her.  His  eyes  glittered  with  hate  and 
anger. 

Bertha's  cry  was  answered  by  another  dull  cry,  or 
rather  groan ;  Tremorel  had  seen  and  comprehended 
all ;  he  was  overwhelmed. 

"  All  is  discovered !  "  Their  eyes  spoke  these  three 
words  to  each  other.  They  saw  them  everywhere, 
written  in  letters  of  fire.  There  was  a  moment  of  stupor, 
of  silence  so  profound  that  Hector  heard  his  temples 
beat.  Sauvresy  had  got  back  under  the  bed-clothes 
again.  He  laughed  loudly,  wildly,  just  as  a  skeleton 
might  have  laughed  whose  jaws  and  teeth  rattled  to- 
gether. 

But  Bertha  was  not  one  of  those  persons  who  are 
overcome  by  a  single  blow,  terrible  as  it  might  be.  She 
trembled  like  a  leaf ;  her  legs  staggered  ;  but  her  mind 
was  already  at  work  seeking  a  subterfuge.  What  had 
Sauvresy  seen — anything?  What  did  he  know?  For 
even  had  he  seen  the  vial,  this  might  be  explained.  It 
could  only  have  been  by  simple  chance  that  he  had 
touched  her  at  the  moment  when  she  was  using  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        253 

poison.  All  these  thoughts  flashed  across  her  mind  in 
a  moment,  as  rapid  as  lightning  shooting  between  the 
clouds.  And  then  she  dared  to  approach  the  bed,  and, 
with  a  frightfully  constrained  smile,  to  say : 

"  How  you  frightened  me  then !  " 

He  looked  at  her  a  moment,  which  seemed  to  her  an 
age — and  simply  replied : 

"  I  understand  it." 

There  was  no  longer  any  uncertainty.  Bertha  saw 
only  too  well  in  her  husband's  eyes  that  he  knew  some- 
thing. But  what — how  much  ?  She  nerved  herself  to 
go  on  : 

"  Are  you  still  suffering?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  why  did  you  get  up  ?  " 

He  raised  himself  upon  his  pillow,  and  with  a  sudden 
strength,  he  continued : 

"  I  got  up  to  tell  you  that  I  have  had  enough  of  these 
tortures,  that  I  have  reached  the  limits  of  human  en- 
ergy, that  I  cannot  endure  one  day  longer  the  agony 
of  seeing  myself  put  to  death  slowly,  drop  by  drop,  by 
the  hands  of  my  wife  and  my  best  friend !  " 

He  stopped.    Hector  and  Bertha  were  thunderstruck. 

"  I  wanted  to  tell  you  also,  that  I  have  had  enough 
of  your  cruel  caution,  and  that  I  suffer.  Ah,  don't  you 
see  that  I  suffer  horribly  ?  Hurry,  cut  short  my  agony ! 
Kill  me,  and  kill  me  at  a  blow — poisoners !  " 

At  the  last  wbrd,  the  Count  de  Tremorel  sprang  up  as 
if  he  had  moved  by  a  spring,  his  eyes  haggard,  his 
arms  stretched  out.  Sauvresy,  seeing  this,  quickly 
slipped  his  hand  under  the  pillow,  pulled  out  a  revolver, 
and  pointed  the  barrel  at  Hector,  crying  out : 

"  Don't  advance  a  step !  " 

He  thought  that  Tremorel,  seeing  that  they  were 


254        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

discovered,  was  going  to  rush  upon  him  and  strangle 
him ;  but  he  was  mistaken.  It  seemed  to  Hector  as 
though  he  were  losing  his  mind.  He  fell  down  as  heav- 
ily as  if  he  were  a  log.  Bertha  was  more  self-possessed ; 
she  tried  to  resist  the  torpor  of  terror  which  she  felt 
coming  on. 

"  You  are  worse,  my  Clement,"  said  she.  "  This  is 
that  dreadful  fever  which  frightens  me  so.  De- 
lirium  " 

"Have  I  really  been  delirious?"  interrupted  he, 
with  a  surprised  air. 

"  Alas,  yes,  dear,  that  is  what  haunts  you,  and  fills 
your  poor  sick  head  with  horrid  visions." 

He  looked  at  her  curiously.  He  was  really  stupefied 
by  this  boldness,  which  constantly  grew  more  bold. 

"  What !  you  think  that  we,  who  are  so  dear  to  you, 
your  friends,  I,  your " 

Her  husband's  implacable  look  forced  her  to  stop, 
and  the  words  expired  on  her  lips. 

"  Enough  of  these  lies,  Bertha,"  resumed  Sauvresy, 
"  they  are  useless.  No,  I  have  not  been  dreaming,  nor 
have  I  been  delirious.  The  poison  is  only  too  real,  and 
I  could  tell  you  what  it  is  without  your  taking  it  out 
of  your  pocket." 

She  recoiled  as  if  she  had  seen  her  husband's  hand 
stretched  out  to  snatch  the  blue  vial. 

"  I  guessed  it  and  recognized  it  at  the  very  first ;  for 
you  have  chosen  one  of  those  poisons  which,  it  is  true, 
leave  scarcely  any  trace  of  themselves,  but  the  symp- 
toms of  which  are  not  deceptive.  Do  you  remember 
the  day  when  I  complained  of  a  morbid  taste  for  pep- 
per? The  next  day  I  was  certain  of  it,  and  I  was  not 
the  only  one.  Doctor  R ,  too,  had  a  suspicion." 


He  looked  at  her  a  moment,  which  seemed  to  her  an  age,  and 
simply  replied,  "  I  understand  it." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        255 

Bertha  tried  to  stammer  something;  her  husband 
interrupted  her. 

"  People  ought  to  try  their  poisons,"  pursued  he,  in 
an  ironical  tone,  "  before  they  use  them.  Didn't  you 
understand  yours,  or  what  its  effects  were  ?  Why,  your 
poison  gives  intolerable  neuralgia,  sleeplessness,  and 
you  saw  me  without  surprise,  sleeping  soundly  all  night 
long!  I  complained  of  a  devouring  fire  within  me, 
while  your  poison  freezes  the  blood  and  the  entrails, 
and  yet  you  are  not  astonished.  You  see  all  the  symp- 
toms change  and  disappear,  and  that  does  not  enlighten 
you.  You  are  fools,  then.  Now  see  what  I  had  to  do 

to  divert  Doctor  R 's  suspicions.  I  hid  the  real 

pains  which  your  poison  caused,  and  complained  of 
imaginary,  ridiculous  ones.  I  described  sensations  just 
the  opposite  of  those  which  I  felt.  You  were  lost,  then 
— and  I  saved  you." 

Bertha's  malignant  energy  staggered  beneath  so 
many  successive  blows.  She  wondered  whether  she 
were  not  going  mad;  had  she  heard  aright?  Was  it 
really  true  that  her  husband  had  perceived  that  he  was 
being  poisoned,  and  yet  said  nothing ;  nay,  that  he  had 
even  deceived  the  doctor  ?  Why  ?  What  was  his  pur- 
pose? 

Sauvresy  paused  several  minutes,  and  then  went  on : 

"  I  have  held  my  tongue  and  so  saved  you,  because 
the  sacrifice  of  my  life  had  already  been  made.  Yes, 
I  had  been  fatally  wounded  in  the  heart  on  the  day  that 
I  learned  that  you  were  faithless  to  me." 

He  spoke  of  his  death  without  apparent  emotion ; 
but  at  the  words,  "  You  were  faithless  to  me,"  his 
voice  faltered  and  trembled. 

"  I  would  not,  could  not  believe  it  at  first.  I  doubted 
the  evidence  of  my  senses,  rather  than  doubt  you.  But 


256        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

I  was  forced  to  believe  at  last.  I  was  no  longer  any- 
thing in  my  house  but  a  laughing-stock.  But  I  was  in 
your  way.  You  and  your  lover  needed  more  room  and 
liberty.  You  were  tired  of  constraint  and  hypocrisy. 
Then  it  was  that,  believing  that  my  death  would  make 
you  free  and  rich,  you  brought  in  poison  to  rid  your- 
selves of  me." 

Bertha  had  at  least  the  heroism  of  crime.  All  was 
discovered  ;  well,  she  threw  down  the  mask.  She  tried 
to  defend  her  accomplice,  who  lay  unconscious  in  a 
chair. 

"  It  is  I  that  have  done  it  all,"  cried  she.  "  He  is 
innocent." 

Sauvresy  turned  pale  with  rage. 

"  Ah,  really,"  said  he,  "  my  friend  Hector  is  inno- 
cent !  It  wasn't  he,  then,  who,  to  pay  me  up — not  for 
his  life,  for  he  was  too  cowardly  to  kill  himself;  but 
for  his  honor,  which  he  owes  to  me — took  my  wife  from 
me?  Wretch !  I  hold  out  my  hand  to  him  when  he  is 
drowning,  I  welcome  him  like  a  brother,  and  in  return, 
he  desolates  my  hearth !  .  .  .  And  you  knew  what 
you  were  doing,  my  friend  Hector — for  I  told  you  a 
hundred  times  that  my  wife  was  my  all  here  below,  my 
present  and  my  future,  my  dream  and  happiness  and 
hope  and  very  life !  You  knew  that  for  me  to  lose  her 
was  to  die.  But  if  you  had  loved  her — no,  it  was  not 
that  you  loved  her;  you  hated  me.  Envy  devoured 
you,  and  you  could  not  tell  me  to  my  face,  "  You  are 
too  happy."  Then,  like  a  coward,  you  hishonored  me 
in  the  dark.  Bertha  was  only  the  instrument  of  your 
rancor ;  and  she  weighs  upon  you  to-day — you  despise 
and  fear  her.  My  friend,  Hector,  you  have  been  in  this 
house  the  vile  lackey  who  thinks  to  avenge  his  base- 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        257 

ness  by  spitting  upon  the  meats  which  he  puts  on  his 
master's  table !  " 

The  count  only  responded  by  a  shudder.  The  dying 
man's  terrible  words  fell  more  cruelly  on  his  conscience 
than  blows  upon  his  cheek. 

"  See,  Bertha,"  continued  Sauvresy,  "  that's  the  man 
whom  you  have  preferred  to  me,  and  for  whom  you 
have  betrayed  me.  You  never  loved  me — I  see  it  now 
— your  heart  was  never  mine.  And  I — I  loved  you  so ! 
From  the  day  I  first  saw  you,  you  were  my  only 
thought ;  as  if  your  heart  had  beaten  in  place  of  mine. 
Everything  about  you  was  dear  and  precious  to  me ;  I 
adored  your  whims,  caprices,  even  your  faults.  There 
was  nothing  I  would  not  do  for  a  smile  from  you,  so 
that  you  would  say  to  me,  Thank  you,  between  two 
kisses.  You  don't  know  that  for  years  after  our  mar- 
riage it  was  my  delight  to  wake  up  first  so  as  to  gaze 
upon  you  as  you  lay  asleep,  to  admire  and  touch  your 
lovely  hair,  lying  dishevelled  across  the  pillow. 
Bertha !  " 

He  softened  at  the  remembrance  of  these  past  joys, 
which  would  not  come  again.  He  forgot  their  pres- 
ence, the  infamous  treachery,  the  poison ;  that  he  was 
about  to  die,  murdered  by  this  beloved  wife ;  and  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  his  voice  choked. 

Bertha,  more  motionless  and  pallid  than  marble,  lis- 
tened to  him  breathlessly. 

"  It  is  true,  then,"  continued  the  sick  man,  "  that 
these  lovely  eyes  conceal  a  soul  of  filth  !  Ah,  who  would 
not  have  been  deceived,  as  I  was?  Bertha,  what  did 
you  dream  of  when  you  were  sleeping  in  my  arms? 
Tremorel  came,  and  you  thought  you  saw  in  him  the 
ideal  of  your  dreams.  You  admired  the  precocious 
wrinkles  which  betrayed  an  exhausted  life,  like  the  fatal 


258        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

seal  which  marks  the  fallen  archangel's  forehead.  Your 
love,  without  thought  of  mine,  rushed  toward  him, 
though  he  did  not  think  of  you.  \  ou  went  to  evil  as  if 
it  were  your  nature.  And  yet  I  thought  you  more  im- 
maculate than  the  Alpine  snows.  You  did  not  even 
have  a  struggle  with  yourself;  you  betrayed  no  con- 
fusion which  would  reveal  your  first  fault  to  me.  You 
brought  me  your  forehead  soiled  with  his  kisses  without 
blushing." 

Weariness  overcame  his  energies ;  his  voice  became 
little  by  little  feebler  and  less  distinct. 

"  You  had  your  happiness  in  your  hands,  Bertha,  and 
you  carelessly  destroyed  it,  as  the  child  breaks  the  toy 
of  whose  value  he  is  ignorant.  What  did  you  expect 
from  this  wretch  for  whom  you  had  the  frightful  cour- 
age to  kill  me,  with  a  kiss  upon  your  lips,  slowly,  hour 
by  hour?  You  thought  you  loved  him,  but  disgust 
ought  to  have  come  at  last.  Look  at  him,  and  judge 
between  us.  See  which  is  the  man — I,  extended  on  this 
bed  where  I  shall  soon  die,  or  he  shivering  there  in  a 
corner.  You  have  the  energy  of  crime,  but  he  has  only 
the  baseness  of  it.  Ah,  if  my  name  was  Hector  de 
Tremorel,  and  a  man  had  spoken  as  I  have  just  done, 
that  man  should  live  no  longer,  even  if  he  had  ten  re- 
volvers like  this  I  am  holding  to  defend  himself  with !  " 

Hector,  thus  taunted,  tried  to  get  up  and  reply ;  but 
his  legs  would  not  support  him,  and  his  throat  only 
gave  hoarse,  unintelligible  sounds.  Bertha,  as  she 
looked  at  the  two  men,  recognized  her  error  with  rage 
and  indignation.  Her  husband,  at  this  moment,  seemed 
to  her  sublime;  his  eyes  gleamed,  his  face  was  ra- 
diant ;  while  the  other — the  other !  She  felt  sick  with 
disgust  when  she  but  glanced  toward  him. 

Thus  all  these  deceptive  chimeras  after  which  she 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        259 

had  run,  love,  passion,  poetry,  were  already  hers ;  she 
had  held  them  in  her  hands  and  she  had  not  been  able 
to  perceive  it.  But  what  was  Sauvresy's  purpose? 

He  continued,  painfully : 

"  This  then,  is  our  situation ;  you  have  killed  me,  you 
are  going  to  be  free,  yet  you  hate  and  despise  each 
other " 

He  stopped,  and  seemed  to  be  suffocating ;  he  tried  to 
raise  himself  on  his  pillow  and  to  sit  up  in  bed,  but 
found  himself  too  feeble. 

"  Bertha,"  said  he,  "  help  me  get  up." 

She  leaned  over  the  bed,  and  taking  her  husband  in 
her  arms,  succeeded  in  placing  him  as  he  wished.  He 
appeared  more  at  ease  in  his  new  position,  and  took  two 
or  three  long  breaths. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  should  like  something  to  drink. 
The  doctor  lets  me  take  a  little  old  wine,  if  I  have  a 
fancy  for  it ;  give  me  some." 

She  hastened  to  bring  him  a  glass  of  wine,  which  he 
emptied  and  handed  back  to  her. 

"  There  wasn't  any  poison  in  it,  was  there  ? "  he 
asked. 

This  ghastly  question  and  the  smile  which  accom- 
panied it,  melted  Bertha's  callousness ;  remorse  had  al- 
ready taken  possession  of  her,  as  her  disgust  of  Tre- 
morel  increased. 

"  Poison?  "  she  cried,  eagerly,  "  never!  " 

"  You  must  give  me  some,  though,  presently,  so  as 
to  help  me  to  die." 

"  You  die,  Clement  ?  No ;  I  want  you  to  live,  so  that 
I  may  redeem  the  past.  I  am  a  wretch,  and  have  com- 
mitted a  hideous  crime — but  you  are  good.  You  wfll 
live  ;  I  don't  ask  to  be  your  wife,  but  only  your  servant. 
I  will  love  you,  humiliate  myself,  serve  you  on  my 


260        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

knees,  so  that  some  day,  after  ten,  twenty  years  of 
expiation,  you  will  forgive  me !  " 

Hector  in  his  mortal  terror  and  anguish,  was  scarcely 
able  to  distinguish  what  was  taking  place.  But  he  saw 
a  dim  ray  of  hope  in  Bertha's  gestures  and  accent,  and 
especially  in  her  last  words;  he  thought  that  perhaps 
it  was  all  going  to  end  and  be  forgotten,  and  that  Sau- 
vresy  would  pardon  them.  Half-rising,  he  stammered  : 

"  Yes,  forgive  us,  forgive  us !  " 

Sauvresy's  eyes  glittered,  and  his  angry  voice  vi- 
brated as  if  it  came  from  a  throat  of  metal. 

"  Forgive !  "  cried  he,  "  pardon  !  Did  you  have  pity 
on  me  during  all  this  year  that  you  have  been  playing 
with  my  happiness,  during  this  fortnight  that  you  have 
been  mixing  poison  in  all  my  potions?  Pardon? 
What,  are  you  fools?  Why  do  you  think  I  held  my 
tongue,  when  I  discovered  your  infamy,  and  let  myself 
be  poisoned,  and  threw  the  doctors  off  the  scent  ?  Do 
you  really  hope  that  I  did  this  to  prepare  a  scene  of 
heartrending  farewells,  and  to  give  you  my  benedic- 
tion at  the  end  ?  Ah,  know  me  better !  " 

Bertha  was  sobbing ;  she  tried  to  take  her  husband's 
hand,  but  he  rudely  repulsed  her. 

"  Enough  of  these  falsehoods,"  said  he.  "  Enough 
of  these  perfidies.  I  hate  you !  You  don't  seem  to  per- 
ceive that  hate  is  all  that  is  still  living  in  me." 

Sauvresy's  expression  was  at  this  moment  ferocious. 

"  It  is  almost  two  months  since  I  learned  the  truth ; 
it  broke  me  up,  soul  and  body.  Ah,  it  cost  me  a  good 
deal  to  keep  quiet — it  almost  killed  me.  But  one 
thought  sustained  me  ;  I  longed  to  avenge  myself.  My 
mind  was  always  bent  on  that ;  I  searched  for  a  punish- 
ment as  great  as  this  crime ;  I  found  none,  could  find 
none.  Then  you  resolved  to  poison  me.  Mark  this — 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL        261 

t'liat  the  very  day  when  I  guessed  about  the  poison  I 
had  a  thrill  of  joy,  for  I  had  discovered  my  vengeance !  " 

A  constantly  increasing  terror  possessed  Bertha,  and 
now  stupefied  her,  as  well  as  Tremorel. 

"  Why  do  you  wish  for  my  death  ?  To  be  free  and 
marry  each  other  ?  Very  well ;  I  wish  that  also.  The 
Count  de  Tremorel  will  be  Madame  Sauvresy's  second 
husband." 

"  Never !  "  cried  Bertha.    "  No,  never !  " 

"  Never!  "  echoed  Hector. 

"  It  shall  be  so,  nevertheless,  because  I  wish  it.  Oh, 
my  precautions  have  been  well  taken,  and  you  can't 
escape  me.  Now  hear  me.  When  I  became  certain 
that  I  was  being  poisoned,  I  began  to  write  a  minute 
history  of  all  three  of  us ;  I  did  more — I  have  kept  a 
journal  day  by  day  and  hour  by  hour,  narrating  all  the 
particulars  of  my  illness  ;  then  I  kept  some  of  the  poison 
which  you  gave  me " 

Bertha  made  a  gesture  of  denial.  Sauvresy  pro- 
ceeded : 

"  Certainly,  I  kept  it,  and  I  will  tell  you  how.  Every 
time  that  Bertha  gave  me  a  suspicious  potion,  I  kept  a 
portion  of  it  in  my  mouth,  and  carefully  ejected  it  into 
a  bottle  which  I  kept  hid  under  the  bolster.  Ah,  you 
ask  how  I  could  have  done  all  this  without  your  sus- 
pecting it,  or  without  being  seen  by  any  of  the  ser- 
vants. Know  that  hate  is  stronger  than  love,  be  sure 
that  I  have  left  nothing  to  chance,  nor  have  I  forgotten 
anything." 

Hector  and  Bertha  looked  at  Sauvresy  with  a  dull, 
fixed  gaze.  They  forced  themselves  to  understand  him, 
but  could  scarcely  do  so. 

"  Let's  finish,"  resumed  the  dying  man,  "  my 
strength  is  waning.  This  very  morning,  the  bottle  con- 


262        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

taining  the  poison  I  have  preserved,  our  biographies, 
and  the  narrative  of  my  poisoning,  have  been  put  in  the 
hands  of  a  trustworthy  and  devoted  person,  whom,  even 
if  you  knew  him,  you  could  not  corrupt.  He  does  not 
know  the  contents  of  what  has  been  confided  to  him. 
The  day  that  you  get  married  this  friend  will  give  them 
all  up  to  you.  If,  however,  you  are  not  married  in  a 
year  from  to-day,  he  has  instmctions  to  put  these  papers 
and  this  bottle  into  the  hands  of  the  officers  of  the 
law." 

A  double  cry  of  horror  and  anguish  told  Sauvresy 
that  he  had  well  chosen  his  vengeance. 

"  And  reflect,"  added  he,  "  that  this  package  once 
delivered  up  to  justice,  means  the  galleys,  if  not  the 
scaffold  for  both  of  you." 

Sauvresy  had  overtasked  his  strength.  He  fell  pant- 
ing upon  the  bed,  his  mouth  open,  his  eyes  filmy,  and 
his  features  so  distorted  that  he  seemed  to  be  on  the 
point  of  death.  But  neither  Bertha  nor  Tremorel 
thought  of  trying  to  relieve  him.  They  remained  oppo- 
site each  other  with  dilated  eyes,  stupefied,  as  if  their 
thoughts  were  bent  upon  the  torments  of  that  future 
which  the  implacable  vengeance  of  the  man  whom  they 
had  outraged  imposed  upon  them.  They  were  indis- 
solubly  united,  confounded  in  a  common  destiny ;  noth- 
ing could  separate  them  but  death.  A  chain  stronger 
and  harder  than  that  of  the  galley-slave  bound  them 
together ;  a  chain  of  infamies  and  crimes,  of  which  the 
first  link  was  a  kiss,  and  the  last  a  murder  by  poison. 
Now  Sauvresy  might  die ;  his  vengeance  was  on  their 
heads,  casting  a  cloud  upon  their  sun.  Free  in  appear- 
ance, they  would  go  through  life  crushed  by  the  bur- 
den of  the  past,  more  slaves  than  the  blacks  in  the 
American  rice-fields.  Separated  by  mutual  hate  and 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        263 

contempt,  they  saw  themselves  riveted  together  by  the 
common  terror  of  punishment,  condemned  to  an  eternal 
embrace. 

Bertha  at  this  moment  admired  her  husband.  Now 
that  he  was  so  feeble  that  he  breathed  as  painfully  as  an 
infant,  she  looked  upon  him  as  something  superhuman. 
She  had  had  no  idea  of  such  constancy  and  courage 
allied  with  so  much  dissimulation  and  genius.  How 
cunningly  he  had  found  them  out !  How  well  he  had 
known  how  to  avenge  himself !  To  be  the  master,  he 
had  only  to  will  it.  In  a  certain  way  she  rejoiced  in  the 
strange  atrocity  of  this  scene ;  she  felt  something  like 
a  bitter  pride  in  being  one  of  the  actors  in  it.  At  the 
same  time  she  was  transported  with  rage  and  sorrow 
in  thinking  that  she  had  had  this  man  in  her  power, 
that  he  had  been  at  her  feet.  She  almost  loved  him.  Of 
all  men,  it  was  he  whom  she  would  have  chosen  were 
she  mistress  of  her  destinies ;  and  he  was  going  to  es- 
cape her. 

Tremorel,  while  these  strange  ideas  crowded  upon 
Bertha's  mind,  began  to  come  to  himself.  The  cer- 
tainty that  Laurence  was  now  forever  lost  for  him  oc- 
curred to  him,  and  his  despair  was  without  bounds.  The 
silence  continued  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour.  Sauvresy 
at  last  subdued  the  spasm  which  had  exhausted  him, 
and  spoke. 

"  I  have  not  said  all  yet,"  he  commenced. 

His  voice  was  as  feeble  as  a  murmur,  and  yet  it 
seemed  terrible  to  his  hearers. 

"  You  shall  see  whether  I  have  reckoned  and  foreseen 
well.  Perhaps,  when  I  was  dead,  the  idea  of  flying  and 
going  abroad  would  strike  you.  I  shall  not  permit 
that.  You  must  stay  at  Orcival — at  Valfeuillu.  A 
friend — not  he  with  the  package — is  charged,  without 


264        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

knowing  the  reason  for  it,  with  the  task  of  watching 
you.  Mark  well  what  I  say — if  either  of  you  should  dis- 
appear for  eight  days,  on  the  ninth,  the  man  who  has 
the  package  would  receive  a  letter  which  would  cause 
him  to  resort  at  once  to  the  police." 

Yes,  he  had  foreseen  all,  and  Tremorel,  who  had  al- 
ready thought  of  flight,  was  overwhelmed. 

"  I  have  so  arranged,  besides,  that  the  idea  of  flight 
shall  not  tempt  you  too  much.  It  is  true  I  have  left  all 
my  fortune  to  Bertha,  but  I  only  give  her  the  use  of  it ; 
the  property  itself  will  not  be  hers  until  the  day  after 
your  marriage." 

Bertha  made  a  gesture  of  repugnance  which  her  hus- 
band misinterpreted. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  the  copy  of  my  will  which  is  in 
your  possession.  It  is  a  useless  one,  and  I  only  added 
to  it  some  valueless  words  because  I  wanted  to  put  your 
suspicions  to  sleep.  My  true  will  is  in  the  notary's 
hands,  and  bears  a  date  two  days  later.  I  can  read  you 
the  rough  draft  of  it." 

He  took  a  sheet  of  paper  from  a  portfolio  which  was 
concealed,  like  the  revolver,  under  the  bolster,  and 
read: 

"  Being  stricken  with  a  fatal  malady,  I  here  set  down 
freely,  and  in  the  fulness  of  my  faculties,  my  last  wishes : 

"  My  dearest  wish  is  that  my  well-beloved  widow, 
Bertha,  should  espouse,  as  soon  as  the  delay  enjoined 
by  law  has  expired,  my  dear  friend,  the  Count  Hector 
de  Tremorel.  Having  appreciated  the  grandeur  of  soul 
and  nobleness  of  sentiment  which  belong  to  my  wife 
and  friend,  I  know  that  they  are  worthy  of  each  other, 
and  that  each  will  be  happy  in  the  other.  I  die  the 
more  peacefully,  as  I  leave  my  Bertha  to  a  protector 
whose " 


THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        265 

It  was  impossible  for  Bertha  to  hear  more. 

"  For  pity's  sake,"  cried  she,  "  enough." 

"  Enough  ?  Well,  let  it  be  so,"  responded  Sauvresy. 
"  I  have  read  this  paper  to  you  to  show  you  that  while 
I  have  arranged  everything  to  insure  the  execution  of 
my  will ;  I  have  also  done  all  that  can  preserve  to  you 
the  world's  respect.  Yes,  I  wish  that  you  should  be 
esteemed  and  honored,  for  it  is  you  alone  upon  whom  I 
rely  for  my  vengeance.  I  have  knit  around  you  a  net- 
work which  you  can  never  burst  asunder.  You 
triumph ;  my  tombstone  shall  be,  as  you  hoped,  the 
altar  of  your  nuptials,  or  else — the  galleys." 

Tremorel's  pride  at  last  revolted  against  so  many 
humiliations,  so  many  whip-strokes  lashing  his  face. 

"  You  have  only  forgotten  one  thing,  Sauvresy ;  that 
a  man  can  die." 

"  Pardon  me,"  replied  the  sick  man,  coldly.  "  I  have 
foreseen  that  also,  and  was  just  going  to  tell  you  so. 
Should  one  of  you  die  suddenly  before  the  marriage, 
the  police  will  be  called  in." 

"  You  misunderstood  me ;  I  meant  that  a  man  can 
kill  himself." 

"  You  kill  yourself  ?  Humph !  Jenny,  who  disdains 
you  almost  as  much  as  I  do,  has  told  me  about  your 
threats  to  kill  yourself.  You!  See  here;  here  is  my 
revolver ;  shoot  yourself,  and  I  will  forgive  my  wife !  " 

Hector  made  a  gesture  of  anger,  but  did  not  take  the 
pistol. 

"  You  see,"  said  Sauvresy,  "  I  knew  it  well.  You  are 
afraid."  Turning  to  Bertha,  he  added,  "  This  is  your 
lover." 

Extraordinary  situations  like  this  are  so  unwonted 
and  strange  that  the  actors  in  them  almost  always  re- 
main composed  and  natural,  as  if  stupefied.  Bertha, 


266        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Hector,  and  Sauvresy  accepted,  without  taking  note  of 
it,  the  strange  position  in  which  they  found  themselves ; 
and  they  talked  naturally,  as  if  of  matters  of  every-day 
life,  and  not  of  terrible  events.  But  the  hours  flew,  and 
Sauvresy  perceived  his  life  to  be  ebbing  from  him. 

"  There  only  remains  one  more  act  to  play,"  said  he. 
"  Hector,  go  and  call  the  servants,  have  those  who  have 
gone  to  bed  aroused,  I  want  to  see  them  before  dying." 

Tremorel  hesitated. 

"  Come,  go  along ;  or  shall  I  ring,  or  fire  a  pistol  to 
bring  them  here  ?  " 

Hector  went  out;  Bertha  remained  alone  with  her 
husband — alone !  She  had  a  hope  that  perhaps  she 
might  succeed  in  making  him  change  his  purpose,  and 
that  she  might  obtain  his  forgiveness.  She  knelt  beside 
the  bed.  Never  had  she  been  so  beautiful,  so  seduc- 
tive, so  irresistible.  The  keen  emotions  of  the  evening 
had  brought  her  whole  soul  into  her  face,  and  her  lovely 
eyes  supplicated,  her  breast  heaved,  her  mouth  was 
held  out  as  if  for  a  kiss,  and  her  new-born  passion  for 
Sauvresy  burst  out  into  delirium. 

"  Clement,"  she  stammered,  in  a  voice  full  of  tender- 
ness, "  my  husband,  Clement !  " 

He  directed  toward  her  a  glance  of  hatred. 

"  What  do  you  wish  ?  " 

She  did  not  know  how  to  begin — she  hesitated, 
trembled  and  sobbed. 

"  Hector  would  not  kill  himself,"  said  she,  "  but 
I " 

"  Well,  what  do  you  wish  to  say  ?    Speak !  " 

"  It  was  I,  a  wretch,  who  have  killed  you.  I  will  not 
survive  you. " 

An  inexpressible  anguish  distorted  Sauvresy's  feat- 
ures. She  kill'herself !  If  so,  his  vengeance  was  vain ; 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        267 

his  own  death  would  then  appear  only  ridiculous  and 
absurd.  And  he  knew  that  Bertha  would  not  be  want- 
ing in  courage  at  the  critical  moment. 

She  waited,  while  he  reflected. 

"  You  are  free,"  said  he,  at  last,  "  this  would  merely 
be  a  sacrifice  to  Hector.  If  you  died,  he  would  marry 
Laurence  Courtois,  and  in  a  year  would  forget  even 
our  name." 

Bertha  sprang  to  her  feet;  she  pictured  Hector  to 
herself  married  and  happy.  A  triumphant  smile,  like  a 
sun's  ray,  brightened  Sauvresy's  pale  face.  He  had 
touched  the  right  chord.  He  might  sleep  in  peace  as 
to  his  vengeance.  Bertha  would  live.  He  knew  how 
hateful  to  each  other  were  these  enemies  whom  he  left 
linked  together. 

The  servants  came  in  one  by  one ;  nearly  all  of  them 
had  been  long  in  Sauvresy's  service,  and  they  loved 
him  as  a  good  master.  They  wept  and  groaned  to  see 
him  lying  there  so  pale  and  haggard,  with  the  stamp  of 
death  already  on  his  forehead.  Sauvresy  spoke  to  them 
in  a  feeble  voice,  which  was  occasionally  interrupted  by 
distressing  hiccoughs.  He  thanked  them,  he  said,  for 
their  attachment  and  fidelity,  and  wished  to  apprise 
them  that  he  had  left  each  of  them  a  goodly  sum  in  his 
will.  Then  turning  to  Bertha  and  Hector,  he  re- 
sumed : 

"  You  have  witnessed,  my  people,  the  care  and  solici- 
tude with  which  my  bedside  has  been  surrounded  by 
this  incomparable  friend  and  my  adored  Bertha.  You 
have  seen  their  devotion.  Alas,  I  know  ho'w  keen  their 
sorrow  will  be!  But  if  they  wish  to  soothe  my  last 
moments  and  give  me  a  happy  death,  they  will  assent 
to  the  prayer  which  I  earnestly  make  to  them,  and  will 
swear  to  espouse  each  other  after  I  am  gone.  Oh,  my 


268        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

beloved  friends,  this  seems  cruel  to  you  now ;  but  you 
know  not  how  all  human  pain  is  dulled  in  me.  You  are 
young,  life  has  yet  much  happiness  in  store  for  you.  I 
conjure  you  yield  to  a  dying- man's  entreaties !  " 

They  approached  the  bed,  and  Sauvresy  put  Bertha's 
hand  into  Hector's. 

"  Do  you  swear  to  obey  me  ?  "  asked  he. 

They  shuddered  to  hold  each  other's  hands,  and 
seemed  near  fainting;  but  they  answered,  and  were 
heard  to  murmur: 

"  We  swear  it." 

The  servants  retired,  grieved  at  this  distressing  scene, 
and  Bertha  muttered  : 

"  Oh,  'tis  infamous,  'tis  horrible !  " 

"  Infamous — yes,"  returned  Sauvresy,  "  but  not 
more  so  than  your  caresses,  Bertha,  or  than  your  hand- 
pressures,  Hector ;  not  more  horrible  than  your  plans, 
than  your  hopes " 

His  voice  sank  into  a  rattle.  Soon  the  agony  com- 
menced. Horrible  convulsions  distorted  his  limbs ; 
twice  or  thrice  he  cried  out : 

"  I  am  cold ;  I  am  cold !  " 

His  body  was  indeed  stiff,  and  nothing  could 
warm  it. 

Despair  filled  the  house,  for  a  death  so  sudden  was 
not  looked  for.  The  domestics  came  and  went,  whis- 
pering to  each  other,  "  He  is  going,  poor  monsieur ; 
poor  madame !  " 

Soon  the  convulsions  ceased.  He  lay  extended  on 
his  back,  breathing  so  feebly  that  twice  they  thought 
his  breath  had  ceased  forever.  At  last,  a  little  before 
ten  o'clock,  his  cheeks  suddenly  colored  and  he  shud- 
dered. He  rose  up  in  bed,  his  eye  staring,  his  arm 
stretched  out  toward  the  window,  and  he  cried : 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        269 

"  There — behind  the  curtain — I   see  them — I   see 
them!" 

A  last  convulsion  stretched  him  again  on  his  pillow. 
Clement  Sauvresy  was  dead ! 


XXI 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  ceased  reading  his 
voluminous  record.  His  hearers,  the  detective  and  the 
doctor  remained  silent  under  the  influence  of  this  dis- 
tressing narrative.  M.  Plantat  had  read  it  impressively, 
throwing  himself  into  the  recital  as  if  he  had  been  per- 
sonally an  actor  in  the  scenes  described. 

M.  Lecoq  was  the  first  to  recover  himself. 

"  A  strange  man,  Sauvresy,"  said  he. 

It  was  Sauvresy's  extraordinary  idea  of  vengeance 
which  struck  him  in  the  story.  He  admired  his  "  good 
playing  "  in  a  drama  in  which  he  knew  he  was  going  to 
yield  up  his  life. 

"  I  don't  know  many  people,"  pursued  the  detective, 
"  capable  of  so  fearful  a  firmness.  To  let  himself  be 
poisoned  so  slowly  and  gently  by  his  wife !  Brrr !  It 
makes  a  man  shiver  all  over !  " 

"  He  knew  how  to  avenge  himself,"  muttered  the 
doctor. 

"  Yes,"  answered  M.  Plantat,  "  yes,  Doctor ;  he 
knew  how  to  avenge  himself,  and  more  terribly  than  he 
supposed,  or  than  you  can  imagine." 

The  detective  rose  from  his  seat.  He  had  remained 
motionless,  glued  to  his  chair  for  more  than  three 
hours,  and  his  legs  were  benumbed. 

"  For  my  part,"  said  he,  "  I  can  very  well  conceive 
what  an  infernal  existence  the  murderers  began  to 
suffer  the  day  after  their  victim's  death.  You  have 


270        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

depicted  them,  Monsieur  Plantat,  with  the  hand  of  a 
master.  I  know  them  as  well  after  your  description  as 
if  I  had  studied  them  face  to  face  for  ten  years." 

He  spoke  deliberately,  and  watched  for  the  effect  of 
what  he  said  in  M.  Plantat's  countenance. 

"  Where  on  earth  did  this  old  fellow  get  all  these 
details  ?  "  he  asked  himself.  "  Did  he  write  this  narra- 
tive, and  if  not,  who  did  ?  How  was  it,  if  he  had  all  this 
information,  that  he  has  said  nothing  ?  " 

M.  Plantat  appeared  to  ^e  unconscious  of  the  detec- 
tive's searching  look. 

"  I  know  that  Sauvresy's  body  was  not  cold,"  said  he, 
"  before  his  murderers  began  to  threaten  each  other 
with  death." 

"  Unhappily  for  them,"  observed  Dr.  Gendron, 
"  Sauvresy  had  foreseen  the  probability  of  his  widow's 
using  up  the  rest  of  the  vial  of  poison." 

"  Ah,  he  was  shrewd,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  in  a  tone  of 
conviction,  "  very  shrewd." 

"  Bertha  could  not  pardon  Hector,"  continued  M. 
Plantat,  "  for  refusing  to  take  the  revolver  and  blow 
his  brains  out;  Sauvresy,  you  see,  had  foreseen  that. 
Bertha  thought  that  if  her  lover  were  dead,  her  husband 
would  have  forgotten  all;  and  it  is  impossible  to  tell 
whether  she  was  mistaken  or  not." 

"  And  nobody  knew  anything  of  this  horrible  strug- 
gle that  was  going  on  in  the  house  ?  " 

"  No  one  ever  suspected  anyfhlng." 

"  It's  marvellous !  " 

"  Say,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  that  is  scarcely  credible. 
Never  was  dissimulation  so  crafty,  and  above  all>  so 
wonderfully  sustained.  If  you  should  question  the  first 
person  you  met  in  Orcival,  he  would  tell  you,  as  our 
worthy  Courtois  this  morning  told  Monsieur  Dom- 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        271 

ini,  that  the  count  and  countess  were  a  model  pair  and 
adored  each  other.  Why  I,  who  knew — or  suspected, 
I  should  say — what  had  passed,  was  deceived  myself." 

Promptly  as  M.  Plantat  had  corrected  himself,  his 
slip  of  the  tongue  did  not  escape  M.  Lecoq. 

"  Was  it  really  a  slip,  or  not  ?  "  he  asked  himself. 

"  These  wretches  have  been  terribly  punished,"  pur- 
sued M.  Plantat,  "  and  it  is  impossible  to  pity  them ;  all 
would  have  gone  rightly  if  Sauvresy,  intoxicated  by  his 
hatred,  had  not  committed  a  blunder  which  was  almost 
a  crime." 

"  A  crime !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

M.  Lecoq  smiled  and  muttered  in  a  low  tone : 

"  Laurence." 

But  low  as  he  had  spoken,  M.  Plantat  heard  him. 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  said  he  severely.  "  Yes, 
Laurence.  Sauvresy  did  a  detestable  thing  when  he 
thought  of  making  this  poor  girl  the  accomplice,  or  I 
should  say,  the  instrument  of  his  wrath.  He  piteously 
threw  her  between  these  two  wretches,  without  asking 
himself  whether  she  would  be  broken.  It  was  by  using 
Laurence's  name  that  he  persuaded  Bertha  not  to  kill 
herself.  Yet  he  knew  of  Tremorel's  passion  for  her,  he 
knew  her  love  for  him,  and  he  knew  that  his  friend  was 
capable  of  anything.  He,  who  had  so  well  foreseen  all 
that  could  serve  his  vengeance,  did  not  deign  to  foresee 
that  Laurence  might  be  dishonored ;  and  yet  he  left  her 
disarmed  before  this  most  cowardly  and  infamous  of 
men!" 

The  detective  reflected. 

"  There  is  one  thing,"  said  he,  "  that  I  can't  explain. 
Why  was  it  that  these  two,  who  execrated  each  other, 
and  whom  the  implacable  will  of  their  victim  chained 
together  despite  themselves,  did  not  separate  cl  one 


272        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

accord  the  day  after  their  marriage,  when  they  had  ful- 
filled the  condition  which  had  established  their  crime?  " 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  shook  his  head. 

"  I  see,"  he  answered,  "  that  I  have  not  yet  made  you 
understand  Bertha's  resolute  character.  Hector  would 
have  been  delighted  with  a  separation ;  his  wife  could 
not  consent  to  it.  Ah,  Sauvresy  knew  her  well !  She 
saw  her  life  ruined,  a  horrible  remorse  lacerated  her; 
she  must  have  a  victim  upon  whom  to  expiate  her 
errors  and  crimes ;  this  victim  was  Hector.  Ravenous 
for  her  prey,  she  would  not  let  him  go  for  anything  in 
the  world." 

"  I'  faith,"  observed  Dr.  Gendron,  "  your  Tremorel 
was  a  chicken-hearted  wretch.  What  had  he  to  fear 
when  Sauvresy's  manuscript  was  once  destroyed  ?  " 

"  Who  told  you  it  had  been  destroyed  ?  "  interrupted 
M.  Plantat. 

M.  Lecoq  at  this  stopped  promenading  up  and  down 
the  room,  and  sat  down  opposite  M.  Plantat. 

"  The  whole  case  lies  there,"  said  he,  "  whether  these 
proofs  have  or  have  not  been  destroyed." 

M.  Plantat  did  not  choose  to  answer  directly. 

"  Do  you  know,"  asked  he,  "  to  whom  Sauvresy  con- 
fided them  for  keeping  ?  " 

"  Ah,"  cried  the  detective,  as  if  a  sudden  idea  had  en- 
lightened him,  "  it  was  you." 

He  added  to  himself,  "  Now,  my  good  man,  I  begin 
to  see  where  all  your  information  comes  from." 

"  Yes,  it  was  I,"  resumed  M.  Plantat.  "  On  the  day 
of  the  marriage  of  Madame  Sauvresy  and  Count  Hec- 
tor, in  conformity  with  the  last  wishes  of  my  dying 
friend,  I  went  to  Valfeuillu  and  asked  to  see  Monsieur 
and  Madame  de  Tremorel.  Although  they  were  full  of 
company,  they  received  me  at  once  in  the  little  room 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        273 

on  the  ground-floor  where  Sauvresy  was  murdered. 
They  were  both  very  pale  and  terribly  troubled.  They 
evidently  guessed  the  purpose  of  my  visit,  for  they  lost 
no  time  in  admitting  me  to  an  interview.  After  salut- 
ing them  I  addressed  myself  to  Bertha,  being  enjoined 
to  do  so  by  the  written  instructions  I  had  received ;  this 
was  another  instance  of  Sauvresy's  foresight.  '  Ma- 
dame,' said  I,  '  I  was  charged  by  your  late  husband 
to  hand  to  you,  on  the  day  of  your  second  marriage, 
this  package,  which  he  confided  to  my  care.'  She  took 
the  package,  in  which  the  bottle  and  the  manuscript 
were  enclosed,  with  a  smiling,  even  joyous  air,  thanked 
me  warmly,  and  went  out.  The  count's  expression  in- 
stantly changed;  he  appeared  very  restless  and  agi- 
tated ;  he  seemed  to  be  on  coals.  I  saw  well  enough 
that  he  burned  to  rush  after  his  wife,  but  dared  not.  I 
was  going  to  retire  ;  but  he  stopped  me.  '  Pardon  me/ 
said  he,  abruptly,  '  you  will  permit  me,  will  you  not  ? 
I  will  return  immediately/  with  which  he  ran  out. 
When  I  saw  him  and  his  wife  a  few  minutes  afterward, 
they  were  both  very  red ;  their  eyes  had  a  strange  ex- 
pression and  their  voices  trembled,  as  they  accom- 
panied me  to  the  door.  They  had  certainly  been  having 
a  violent  altercation." 

"  The  rest  may  be  conjectured,"  interrupted  M. 
Lecoq.  "  She  had  gone  to  secrete  the  manuscript  in 
some  safe  place ;  and  when  her  new  husband  asked  her 
to  give  it  up  to  him,  she  replied, '  Look  for  it/  " 

"  Sauvresy  had  enjoined  on  me  to  give  it  only  into 
her  hands." 

"  Oh,  he  knew  how  to  work  his  revenge.  He  had  it 
given  to  his  wife  so  that  she  might  hold  a  terrible  arm 
against  Tremorel,  all  ready  to  crush  him.  If  he  re- 
volted, she  always  had  this  instrument  of  torture  at 


274        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

hand.  Ah,  the  man  was  a  miserable  wretch,  and  she 
must  have  made  him  suffer  terribly." 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Gendron,  "  up  to  the  very  day  he 
killed  her." 

The  detective  had  resumed  his  promenade  up  and 
down  the  library. 

"  The  question  as  to  the  poison,"  said  he,  "  remains. 
It  is  a  simple  one  to  resolve,  because  we've  got  the  man 
who  sold  it  to  her  in  that  closet." 

"  Besides,"  returned  the  doctor,  "  I  can  tell  some- 
thing about  the  poison.  This  rascal  of  a  Robelot  stole 
it  from  my  laboratory,  and  I  know  only  too  well  what  it 
is,  even  if  the  symptoms,  so  well  described  by  our 
friend  Plantat,  had  not  indicated  its  name  to  me.  I 
was  at  work  upon  aconite  when  Sauvresy  died ;  and  he 
was  poisoned  with  aconitine." 

"  Ah,  with  aconitine,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  surprised. 
"  It's  the  first  time  that  I  ever  met  with  that  poison. 
Is  it  a  new  thing?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  Medea  is  said  to  have  extracted  her 
deadliest  poisons  from  aconite,  and  it  was  employed  in 
Rome  and  Greece  in  criminal  executions." 

"  And  I  did  not  know  of  it !  But  I  have  very  little 
time  to  study.  Besides,  this  poison  of  Medea's  was 
perhaps  lost,  as  was  that  of  the  Borgias ;  so  many  of 
these  things  are !  " 

"  No,  it  was  not  lost,  be  assured.  But  we  only  know 
of  it  nowadays  by  Mathiole's  experiments  on  felons 
sentenced  to  death,  in  the  sixteenth  century ;  by  Hers, 
who  isolated  the  active  principle,  the  alkaloid,  in  1833, 
and  lastly  by  certain  experiments  made  by  Bouchardat, 
who  pretends " 

Unfortunately,  when  Dr.  Gendron  was  set  agoing  on 
poisons,  it  was  difficult  to  stop  him ;  but  M.  Lecoq,  on 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        275 

the  other  hand,  never  lost  sight  of  the  end  he  had  in 
view. 

"  Pardon  me  for  interrupting  you,  Doctor,"  said  he. 
"  But  would  traces  of  aconitine  be  found  in  a  body 
which  had  been  two  years  buried?  For  Monsieur 
Domini  is  going  to  order  the  exhumation  of  Sauvresy." 

"  The  tests  of  aconitine  are  not  sufficiently  well 
known  to  permit  of  the  isolation  of  it  in  a  body.  Bou- 
chardat  tried  ioduret  of  potassium,  but  his  experiment 
was  not  successful." 

"  The  deuce !  "  said  M.  Lecoq.    "  That's  annoying." 

The  doctor  smiled  benignly. 

"  Reassure  yourself,"  said  he.  "  No  such  process 
was  in  existence — so  I  invented  one." 

"  Ah,"  cried  Plantat    "  Your  sensitive  paper !  " 

"  Precisely." 

"  And  could  you  find  aconitine  in  Sauvresy's  body  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly." 

M.  Lecoq  was  radiant,  as  if  he  were  now  certain  of 
fulfilling  what  had  seemed  to  him  a  very  difficult  task. 

"  Very  well,"  said  he.  "  Our  inquest  seems  to  be 
complete.  The  history  of  the  victims  imparted  to  us 
by  Monsieur  Plantat  gives  us  the  key  to  all  the  events 
which  have  followed  the  unhappy  Sauvresy's  death. 
Thus,  the  hatred  of  this  pair,  who  were  in  appearance 
so  united,  is  explained  ;  and  it  is  also  clear  why  Hector 
has  ruined  a  charming  young  girl  with  a  splendid 
dowry,  instead  of  making  her  his  wife.  There  is  noth- 
ing surprising  in  Tremorel's  easting  aside  his  name 
and  personality  to  reappear  under  another  guise;  he 
killed  his  wife  because  he  was  constrained  to  do  so  by 
the  logic  of  events.  He  could  not  fly  while  she  was 
alive,  and  yet  he  could  not  continue  to  live  at  Val- 
feuillu.  And  above  all,  the  paper  for  which  he  searched 


276        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

with  such  desperation,  when  every  moment  was  an 
affair  of  life  and  death  to  him,  was  none  other  than  Sau- 
vresy's  manuscript,  his  condemnation  and  the  proof  of 
his  first  crime." 

M.  Lecoq  talked  eagerly,  as  if  he  had  a  personal  ani- 
mosity against  the  Count  de  Tremorel ;  such  was  his 
nature  ;  and  he  always  avowed  laughingly  that  he  could 
not  help  having  a  grudge  against  the  criminals  whom 
he  pursued.  There  was  an  account  to  settle  between 
him  and  them  ;  hence  the  ardor  of  his  pursuit.  Perhaps 
it  was  a  simple  matter  of  instinct  with  him,  like  that 
which  impels  the  hunting  hound  on  the  track  of  his 
game. 

"  It  is  clear  enough  now,"  he  went  on,  "  that  it  was 
Mademoiselle  Courtois  who  put  an  end  to  his  hesita- 
tion and  eternal  delay.  His  passion  for  her,  irritated 
by  obstacles,  goaded  him  to  delirium.  On  learning  her 
condition,  he  lost  his  head  and  forgot  all  prudence  and 
reason.  He  was  wearied,  too,  of  a  punishment  which 
began  anew  each  morning ;  he  saw  himself  lost,  and  his 
wife  sacrificing  herself  for  the  malignant  pleasure  of 
sacrificing  him.  Terrified,  he  took  the  resolution  to 
commit  this  murder." 

Many  of  the  circumstances  which  had  established 
M.  Lecoq's  conviction  had  escaped  Dr.  Gendron. 

"  What !  "  cried  he,  stupefied.  "  Do  you  believe  in 
Mademoiselle  Laurence's  complicity?" 

The  detective  earnestly  protested  by  a  gesture. 

"  No,  Doctor,  certainly  not ;  heaven  forbid  that  I 
should  have  such  an  idea.  Mademoiselle  Courtois  was 
and  is  still  ignorant  of  this  crime.  But  she  knew  that 
Tremorel  would  abandon  his  wife  for  her.  This  flight 
had  been  discussed,  planned,  and  agreed  upon  between 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        277 

them ;  they  made  an  appointment  to  meet  at  a  certain 
place,  on  a  certain  day." 

"  But  this  letter,"  said  the  doctor. 

M.  Plantat  could  scarcely  conceal  his  emotion  when 
Laurence  was  being  talked  about. 

"  This  letter,"  cried  he,  "  which  has  plunged  her 
family  into  the  deepest  grief,  and  which  will  perhaps 
kill  poor  Courtois,  is  only  one  more  scene  of  the  in- 
famous drama  which  the  count  has  planned." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  it  possible?  " 

"  1  am  firmly  of  Monsieur  Plantat's  opinion,"  said 
the  detective.  "  Last  evening  we  had  the  same  sus- 
picion at  the  same  moment  at  the  mayor's.  I  read 
and  re-read  her  letter,  and  could  have  sworn  that  it  did 
not  emanate  from  herself.  The  count  gave  her  a  rough 
draft  from  which  she  copied  it.  We  mustn't  deceive 
ourselves ;  this  letter  was  meditated,  pondered  on,  and 
composed  at  leisure.  Those  were  not  the  expressions 
of  an  unhappy  young  girl  of  twenty  who  was  going  to 
kill  herself  to  escape  dishonor." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  remarked  the  doctor 
visibly  moved.  "  But  how  can  you  imagine  that  Tre- 
morel  succeeded  in  persuading  her  to  do  this  wretched 
act?" 

"  How  ?  See  here,  Doctor,  I  am  not  much  expe- 
rienced in  such  things,  having  seldom  had  occasion  to 
study  the  characters  of  well-brought-up  young  girls; 
yet  it  seems  to  me  very  simple.  Mademoiselle  Cour- 
tois saw  the  time  coming  when  her  disgrace  would  be 
public,  and  so  prepared  for  it,  and  was  even  ready  to 
die  if  necessary." 

M.'  Plantat  shuddered ;  a  conversation  which  he  had 
had  with  Laurence  occurred  to  him.  She  had  asked 
him,  he  remembered,  about  certain  poisonous  plants 


278        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

which  he  was  cultivating,  and  had  been  anxious  to 
know  how  the  poisonous  juices  could  be  extracted  from 
them. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  she  has  thought  of  dying." 

"  Well,"  resumed  the  detective,  "  the  count  took 
her  in  one  of  the  moods  when  these  sad  thoughts  haunt- 
ed the  poor  girl,  and  was  easily  able  to  complete  his 
work  of  ruin.  She  undoubtedly  told  him  that  she  pre- 
ferred death  to  shame,  and  he  proved  to  her  that,  being 
in  the  condition  in  which  she  was,  she  had  no  right  to 
kill  herself.  He  said  that  he  was  very  unhappy ;  and 
that  not  being  free,  he  could  not  repair  his  fault;  but 
he  offered  to  sacrifice  his  life  for  her.  What  should  she 
do  to  save  both  of  them  ?  Abandon  her  parents,  make 
them  believe  that  she  had  committed  suicide,  while  he, 
on  his  side,  would  desert  his  house  and  his  wife. 
Doubtless  she  resisted  for  awhile;  but  she  finally  con- 
sented to  everything;  she  fled,  and  copied  and  posted 
the  infamous  letter  dictated  by  her  lover." 

The  doctor  was  convinced. 

"  Yes,"  he  muttered,  "  those  are  doubtless  the  means 
he  employed." 

"  But  what  an  idiot  he  was,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq, 
"  not  to  perceive  that  the  strange  coincidence  between 
his  disappearance  and  Laurence's  suicide  would  be  re- 
marked !  He  said  to  himself,  '  Probably  people  will 
think  that  I,  as  well  as  my  wife,  have  been  murdered ; 
and  the  law,  having  its  victim  in  Guespin,  will  not  look 
for  any  other.' " 

M.  Plantat  made  a  gesture  of  impotent  rage. 

"  Ah,"  cried  he,  "  and  we  know  not  where  the  wretch 
has  hid  himself  and  Laurence." 

The  detective  took  him  by  the  arm  and  pressed  it. 

"  Reassure  yourself,"  said  he,  coolly.    "  We'll  find 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        279 

him,  or  my  name's  not  Lecoq ;  and  to  be  honest,  I  must 
say  that  our  task  does  not  seem  to  me  a  difficult  one." 

Several  timid  knocks  at  the  door  interrupted  the 
speaker.  It  was  late,  and  the  household  was  already 
awake  and  about.  Mme.  Petit  in  her  anxiety  and 
curiosity  had  put  her  ear  to  the  key-hole  at  least  ten 
times,  but  in  vain. 

"  What  can  they  be  up  to  in  there  ?  "  said  she  to 
Louis.  "  Here  they've  been  shut  up  these  twelve  hours 
without  eating  or  drinking.  At  all  events  I'll  get 
breakfast." 

It  was  not  Mme.  Petit,  however,  who  dared  to  knock 
on  the  door,  but  Louis,  the  gardener,  who  came  to  tell 
his  master  of  the  ravages  which  had  been  made  in  his 
flower-pots  and  shrubs.  At  the  same  time  he  brought 
in  certain  singular  articles  which  he  had  picked  up  on 
the  sward,  and  which  M.  Lecoq  recognized  at  once. 

"  Heavens !  "  cried  he,  "  I  forgot  myself.  Here  I  go 
on  quietly  talking  with  my  face  exposed,  as  if  it  was  not 
broad  daylight ;  and  people  might  come  in  at  any  mo- 
ment !  "  And  turning  to  Louis,  who  was  very  much 
surprised  to  see  this  dark  young  man  whom  he  had  cer- 
tainly not  admitted  the  night  before,  he  added : 

"  Give  me  those  little  toilet  articles,  my  good  fellow ; 
they  belong  to  me." 

Then,  by  a  turn  of  his  hand,  he  readjusted  his  physi- 
ognomy of  last  night,  while  the  master  of  the  house 
went  out  to  give  some  orders,  which  M.  Lecoq  did  so 
deftly,  that  when  M.  Plantat  returned,  he  could  scarce- 
ly believe  his  eyes. 

They  sat  down  to  breakfast  and  ate  their  meal  as 
silently  as  they  had  done  the  dinner  of  the  evening  be- 
fore, losing  no  time  about  it.  They  appreciated  the 
value  of  the  passing  moments ;  M.  Domini  was  waiting 


280        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

for  them  at  Corbeil,  and  was  doubtless  getting  impa- 
tient at  their  delay. 

Louis  had  just  placed  a  sumptuous  dish  of  fruit  upon 
the  table,  when  it  occurred  to  M.  Lecoq  that  Robelot 
was  still  shut  up  in  the  closet. 

"  Probably  the  rascal  needs  something,"  said  he. 

M.  Plantat  wished  to  send  his  servant  to  him ;  but  M. 
Lecoq  objected. 

"  He's  a  dangerous  rogue,"  said  he.  "  I'll  go  my- 
self." 

He  went  out,  but  almost  instantly  his  voice  was 
heard : 

"  Messieurs !  Messieurs,  see  here !  " 

The  doctor  and  M.  Plantat  hastened  into  the  library. 

Across  the  threshold  of  the  closet  was  stretched  the 
body  of  the  bone-setter.  He  had  killed  himself. 

XXII 

Robelot  must  have  had  rare  presence  of  mind  and 
courage  to  kill  himself  in  that  obscure  closet,  without 
making  enough  noise  to  arouse  the  attention  of  those 
in  the  library.  He  had  wound  a  string  tightly  around 
his  neck,  and  had  used  a  piece  of  pencil  as  a  twister, 
and  so  had  strangled  himself.  He  did  not,  however, 
betray  the  hideous  look  which  the  popular  belief  at- 
tributes to  those  who  have  died  by  strangulation.  His 
face  was  pale,  his  eyes  and  mouth  half  open,  and  he 
had  the  appearance  of  one  who  has  gradually  and  with- 
out much  pain  lost  his  consciousness  by  congestion  of 
the  brain. 

"  Perhaps  he  is  not  quite  dead  yet,"  said  the  doctor. 

He  quickly  pulled  out  his  case  of  instruments  and 
knelt  beside  the  motionless  body. 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        281 

This  incident  seemed  to  annoy  M.  Lecoq  very  much  ; 
just  as  everything  was,  as  he  said,  "  running  on  wheels," 
his  principal  witness,  whom  he  had  caught  at  the  peril 
of  his  life,  had  escaped  him.  M.  Plantat,  on  the  con- 
trary, seemed  tolerably  well  satisfied,  as  if  the  death  of 
Robelot  furthered  projects  which  he  was  secretly  nour- 
ishing, and  fulfilled  his  secret  hopes.  Besides,  it  little 
mattered  if  the  object  was  to  oppose  M.  Domini's 
theories  and  induce  him  to  change  his  opinion.  This 
corpse  had  more  eloquence  in  it  than  the  most  explicit 
of  confessions. 

The  doctor,  seeing  the  uselessness  of  his  pains,  got 
up. 

"  It's  all  over,"  said  he.  "  The  asphyxia  was  accom- 
plished in  a  very  few  moments." 

The  bone-setter's  body  was  carefully  laid  on  the  floor 
in  the  library. 

"  There  is  nothing  more  to  be  done,"  said  M.  Plan- 
tat,  "  but  to  carry  him  home ;  we  will  follow  on  so  as 
to  seal  up  his  effects,  which  perhaps  contain  important 
papers.  Run  to  the  mairie,"  he  added,  turning  to  his 
servant,  "  and  get  a  litter  and  two  stout  men." 

Dr.  Gendron's  presence  being  no  longer  necessary, 
he  promised  M.  Plantat  to  rejoin  him  at  Robelot's,  and 
started  off  to  inquire  after  M.  Courtois's  condition. 

Louis  lost  no  time,  and  soon  reappeared  followed 
not  by  two,  but  ten  men.  The  body  was  placed  on  a 
litter  and  carried  away.  Robelot  occupied  a  little  house 
of  three  rooms,  where  he  lived  by  himself ;  one  of  the 
rooms  served  as  a  shop,  and  was  full  of  plants,  dried 
herbs,  grain,  and  other  articles  appertaining  to  his  vo- 
cation as  an  herbist.  He  slept  in  the  back  room,  which 
was  better  furnished  than  most  country  rooms.  His 
body  was  placed  upon  the  bed.  Among  the  men  who 


282        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

had  brought  it  was  the  "  drummer  of  the  town,"  who 
was  at  the  same  time  the  grave-digger.  This  man, 
expert  in  everything  pertaining  to  funerals,  gave  all 
the  necessary  instructions  on  the  present  occasion,  him- 
self taking  part  in  the  lugubrious  task. 

Meanwhile  M.  Plantat  examined  the  furniture,  the 
keys  of  which  had  been  taken  from  the  deceased's 
pocket.  The  value  of  the  property  found  in  the  posses- 
sion of  this  man,  who  had,  two  years  before,  lived  from 
day  to  day  on  what  he  could  pick  up,  were  an  over- 
whelming proof  against  him  in  addition  to  the  others 
already  discovered.  But  M.  Plantat  looked  in  vain  for 
any  new  indications  of  which  he  was  ignorant.  He 
found  deeds  of  the  Morin  property  and  of  the  Frapesle 
and  Peyron  lands ;  there  were  also  two  bonds,  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  and  eight  hundred  and  twenty  francs, 
signed  by  two  Orcival  citizens  in  Robelot's  favor.  M. 
Plantat  could  scarcely  conceal  his  disappointment. 

"  Nothing  of  importance,"  whispered  he  in  M. 
Lecoq's  ear.  "  How  do  you  explain  that  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,"  responded  the  detective.  "  He  was  a 
sly  rogue,  this  Robelot,  and  he  was  cunning  enough 
to  conceal  his  sudden  fortune  and  patient  enough  to 
appear  to  be  years  accumulating  it.  You  only  find  in 
his  secretary  effects  which  he  thought  he  could  avow 
without  danger.  How  much  is  there  in  all  ?  " 

Plantat  rapidly  added  up  the  different  sums,  and  said : 

"  About  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  francs." 

"  Madame  Sauvresy  gave  him  more  than  that,"  said 
the  detective,  positively.  "  If  he  had  no  more  than  this, 
he  would  not  have  been  such  a  fool  as  to  put  it  all  into 
land.  He  must  have  a  hoard  of  money  concealed  some- 
where." 

"  Of  course  he  must.    But  where  ?  " 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        283 

"  Ah,  let  me  look." 

He  began  to  rummage  about,  peering  into  every- 
thing in  the  room,  moving  the  furniture,  sounding  the 
floor  with  his  heels,  and  rapping  on  the  wall  here  and 
there.  Finally  he  came  to  the  fireplace,  before  which 
he  stopped. 

"  This  is  July,"  said  he.  "  And  yet  there  are  cinders 
here  in  the  fireplace." 

"  People  sometimes  neglect  to  clean  them  out  in  the 
spring." 

"  True ;  but  are  not  these  very  clean  and  distinct  ?  I 
don't  find  any  of  the  light  dust  and  soot  on  them  which 
ought  to  be  there  after  they  have  lain  several  months." 

He  went  into  the  second  room  whither  he  had  sent 
the  men  after  they  had  completed  their  task,  and  said : 

"  I  wish  one  of  you  would  get  me  a  pickaxe." 

All  the  men  rushed  out;  M.  Lecoq  returned  to  his 
companion. 

"  Surely,"  muttered  he,  as  if  apart,  "  these  cinders 
have  been  disturbed  recently,  and  if  they  have 
been- 

He  knelt  down,  and  pushing  the  cinders  away,  laid 
bare  the  stones  of  the  fireplace.  Then  taking  a  thin 
piece  of  wood,  he  easily  inserted  it  into  the  cracks  be- 
tween the  stones. 

"  See  here,  Monsieur  Plantat,"  said  he.  "  There  is 
no  cement  between  these  stones,  and  they  are  movable ; 
the  treasure  must  be  here." 

When  the  pickaxe  was  brought,  he  gave  a  single 
blow  with  it;  the  stones  gaped  apart,  and  betrayed  a. 
wide  and  deep  hole  between  them. 

"  Ah,"  cried  he,  with  a  triumphant  air,  "  I  knew  it 
well  enough." 

The  hole  was  full  of  rouleaux  of  twenty-franc  pieces ; 


on  counting  them,  M.  Lecoq  found  that  there  were 
nineteen  thousand  five  hundred  francs. 

The  old  justice's  face  betrayed  an  expression  of  pro- 
found grief. 

"  That,"  thought  he,  "  is  the  price  of  my  poor  Sau- 
vresy's  life." 

M.  Lecoq  found  a  small  piece  of  paper,  covered  with 
figures,  deposited  with  the  gold ;  it  seemed  to  be  Robe- 
lot's  accounts.  He  had  put  on  the  left  hand  the  sum  of 
forty  thousand  francs ;  on  the  right  hand,  various  sums 
were  inscribed,  the  total  of  which  was  twenty-one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  francs.  It  was  only  too  clear ;  Mme. 
Sauvresy  had  paid  Robelot  forty  thousand  francs  for 
the  bottle  of  poison.  There  was  nothing  more  to  learn 
at  his  house.  They  locked  the  money  up  in  the  sec- 
retary, and  affixed  seals  everywhere,  leaving  two  men 
on  guard. 

But  M.  Lecoq  was  not  quite  satisfied  yet.  What  was 
the  manuscript  which  Plantat  had  read?  At  first  he 
had  thought  that  it  was  simply  a  copy  of  the  papers 
confided  to  him  by  Sauvresy  ;  but  it  could  not  be  that ; 
Sauvresy  couldn't  have  thus  described  the  last  agoniz- 
ing scenes  of  his  life.  This  mystery  mightily  worried 
the  detective  and  dampened  the  joy  he  felt  at  having 
solved  the  crime  at  Valfeuillu.  He  made  one  more  at- 
tempt to  surprise  Plantat  into  satisfying  his  curiosity. 
Taking  him  by  the  coat-lapel,  he  drew  him  into  the  em- 
brasure of  a  window,  and  with  his  most  innocent  air, 
said: 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  are  we  going  back  to  your 
house?" 

"  Why  should  we  ?  You  know  the  doctor  is  going  to 
meet  us  here." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL         285 

"  I  think  we  may  need  the  papers  you  read  to  us,  to 
convince  Monsieur  Domini." 

M.  Plantat  smiled  sadly,  and  looking  steadily  at  him, 
replied : 

"  You  are  very  sly,  Monsieur  Lecoq ;  but  I  too  am  sly 
enough  to  keep  the  last  key  of  the  mystery  of  which 
you  hold  all  the  others." 

"  Believe  me — "  stammered  M.  Lecoq. 

"  I  believe,"  interrupted  his  companion,  "  that  you 
would  like  very  well  to  know  the  source  of  my  infor- 
mation. Your  memory  is  too  good  for  you  to  forget 
that  when  I  began  last  evening  I  told  you  that  this  nar- 
rative was  for  your  ear  alone,  and  that  I  had  only  one 
object  in  disclosing  it — to  aid  our  search.  Why  should 
you  wish  the  judge  of  instruction  to  see  these  notes, 
which  are  purely  personal,  and  have  no  legal  or  au- 
thentic character  ?  " 

He  reflected  a  few  moments,  and  added : 

"  I  have  too  much  confidence  in  you,  Monsieur 
Lecoq,  and  esteem  you  too  much,  not  to  have  every 
trust  that  you  will  not  divulge  these  strict  confidences. 
What  you  will  say  will  be  of  as  much  weight  as  any- 
thing I  might  divulge — especially  now  that  you  have 
Robelot's  body  to  back  your  assertions,  as  well  as  the 
money  found  in  his  possession.  If  Monsieur  Domini 
still  hesitates  to  believe  you,  you  know  that  the  doctor 
promises  to  find  the  poison  which  killed  Sauvresy " 

M.  Plantat  stopped  and  hesitated. 

"  In  short,"  he  resumed,  "  I  think  you  will  be  able  to 
keep  silence  as  to  what  you  have  heard  from  me." 

M.  Lecoq  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  pressing  it  sig- 
nificantly, said : 

"  Count  on  me,  Monsieur." 

At  this  moment  Dr.  Gendron  appeared  at  the  door. 


286        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

"  Courtois  is  better,"  said  he.  "  He  weeps  like  a 
child ;  but  he  will  come  out  of  it." 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  "  cried  the  old  justice  of  the 
peace.  "  Now,  since  you've  come,  let  us  hurry  off  to 
Corbeil ;  Monsieur  Domini,  who  is  waiting  for  us  this 
morning,  must  be  mad  with  impatience." 


XXIII 

M.  Plantat,  in  speaking  of  M.  Domini's  impatience, 
did  not  exaggerate  the  truth.  That  personage  was 
furious;  he  could  not  comprehend  the  reason  of  the 
prolonged  absence  of  his  three  fellow-workers  of  the 
previous  evening.  He  had  installed  himself  early  in  the 
morning  in  his  cabinet,  at  the  court-house,  enveloped 
in  his  judicial  robe ;  and  he  counted  the  minutes  as 
they  passed.  His  reflections  during  the  night,  far  from 
shaking,  had  only  confirmed  his  opinion.  As  he  re- 
ceded from  the  period  of  the  crime,  he  found  it  very 
simple  and  natural — indeed,  the  easiest  thing  in  the 
world  to  account  for.  He  was  annoyed  that  the  rest  did 
not  share  his  convictions,  and  he  awaited  their  report  in 
a  state  of  irritation  which  his  clerk  only  too  well  per- 
ceived. He  had  eaten  his  breakfast  in  his  cabinet,  so  as 
to  be  sure  and  be  beforehand  with  M.  Lecoq.  It  was  a 
usless  precaution;  for  the  hours  passed  on  and  no  one 
arrived. 

To  kill  time,  he  sent  for  Guespin  and  Bertaud  and 
questioned  them  anew,  but  learned  nothing  more  than 
he  had  extracted  from  them  the  night  before.  One  of 
the  prisoners  swore  by  all  things  sacred  that  he  knew 
nothing  except  what  he  had  already  told;  the  other 
preserved  an  obstinate  and  ferocious  silence,  confining 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        287 

himself  to  the  remark :  "  I  know  that  I  am  lost ;  do 
with  me  what  you  please." 

M.  Domini  was  just  going  to  send  a  mounted  gen- 
darme to  Orcival  to  find  out  the  cause  of  the  delay, 
when  those  whom  he  awaited  were  announced.  He 
quickly  gave  the  order  to  admit  them,  and  so  keen  was 
his  curiosity,  despite  what  he  called  his  dignity,  that  he 
got  up  and  went  forward  to  meet  them. 

"  How  late  you  are !  "  said  he. 

"  And  yet  we  haven't  lost  a  minute,"  replied  M.  Plan- 
tat.  "  We  haven't  even  been  in  bed." 

"  There  is  news,  then  ?  Has  the  count's  body  been 
found?" 

"  There  is  much  news,  Monsieur,"  said  M.  Lecoq. 
"  But  the  count's  body  has  not  been  found,  and  I  dare 
even  say  that  it  will  not  be  found — for  the  very  simple 
fact  that  he  has  not  been  killed.  The  reason  is  that  he 
was  not  one  of  the  victims,  as  at  first  supposed,  but  the 
assassin." 

At  this  distinct  declaration  on  M.  Lecoq's  part,  the 
judge  started  in  his  seat. 

"  Why,  this  is  folly !  "  cried  he. 

M.  Lecoq  never  smiled  in  a  magistrate's  presence. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  said  he,  coolly.  "  I  am  per- 
suaded that  if  Monsieur  Domini  will  grant  me  his  at- 
tention for  half  an  hour  I  will  have  the  honor  of  per- 
suading him  to  share  my  opinion." 

M.  Domini's  slight  shrug  of  the  shoulders  did  not 
escape  the  detective,  but  he  calmly  continued : 

"  More ;  I  am  sure  that  Monsieur  Domini  will  not 
permit  me  to  leave  his  cabinet  without  a  warrant  to 
arrest  Count  Hector  de  Tremorel,  whom  at  present  he 
thinks  to  be  dead." 

"  Possibly,"  said  M.  Domini.    "  Proceed." 


288        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

M.  Lecoq  then  rapidly  detailed  the  facts  gathered  by 
himself  and  M.  Plantat  from  the  beginning  of  the  in- 
quest. He  narrated  them  not  as  if  he  had  guessed  or 
been  told  of  them,  but  in  their  order  of  time  and  in  such 
a  manner  that  each  new  incident  which,  he  mentioned 
followed  naturally  from  the  preceding  one.  He  had 
completely  resumed  his  character  of  a  retired  haber- 
dasher, with  a  little  piping  voice,  and  such  obsequious 
expressions  as,  "  I  have  the  honor,"  and  "  If  Monsieur 
the  Judge  will  deign  to  permit  me ;  "  he  resorted  to  the 
candy-box  with  the  portrait,  and,  as  the  night  before  at 
Valfeuillu,  chewed  a  lozenge  when  he  came  to  the  more 
striking  points.  M.  Domini's  surprise  increased  every 
minute  as  he  proceeded ;  while  at  times,  exclamations 
of  astonishment  passed  his  lips :  "  Is  it  possible  ?  " 
"  That  is  hard  to  believe !  " 

M.  Lecoq  finished  his  recital ;  he  tranquilly  munched 
a  lozenge,  and  added : 

"  What  does  Monsieur  the  Judge  of  Instruction 
think  now?  " 

M.  Domini  was  fain  to  confess  that  he  was  almost 
satisfied.  A  man,  however,  never  permits  an  opinion 
deliberately  and  carefully  formed  to  be  refuted  by  one 
whom  he  looks  on  as  an  inferior,  without  a  secret  cha- 
grin. But  in  this  case  the  evidence  was  too  abundant, 
and  too  positive  to  be  resisted. 

"  I  am  convinced,"  said  he,  "  that  a  crime  was  com- 
mitted on  Monsieur  Sauvresy  with  the  dearly  paid  as- 
sistance of  this  Robelot.  To-morrow  I  shall  give  in- 
structions to  Doctor  Gendron  to  proceed  at  once  to  an 
exhumation  and  autopsy  of  the  late  master  of  Valfeu- 
illu." 

"  And  you  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  find  the  poison," 
chimed  in  the  doctor. 


"  Very  well,"  resumed  M.  Domini.  "  But  does 
it  necessarily  follow  that  because  Monsieur  Tre- 
morel  poisoned  his  friend  to  marry  his  widow,  he  yes- 
terday killed  his  wife  and  then  fled  ?  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Pardon  me,"  objected  Lecoq,  gently.  "  It  seems  to 
me  that  Mademoiselle  Courtois's  supposed  suicide 
proves  at  least  something." 

"  That  needs  clearing  up.  This  coincidence  can 
only  be  a  matter  of  pure  chance." 

"  But  I  am  sure  that  Monsieur  Tremorel  shaved  him- 
self— of  that  we  have  proof ;  then,  we  did  not  find  the 
boots  which,  according  to  the  valet,  he  put  on  the 
morning  of  the  murder." 

"  Softly,  softly,"  interrupted  the  judge.  "  I  don't 
pretend  that  you  are  absolutely  wrong;  it  must  be  as 
you  say ;  only  I  give  you  my  objections.  Let  us  admit 
that  Tremorel  killed  his  wife,  that  he  fled  and  is  alive. 
Does  that  clear  Guespin,  and  show  that  he  took  no  part 
in  the  murder?  " 

This  was  evidently  the  flaw  in  Lecoq's  case ;  but  be- 
ing convinced  of  Hector's  guilt,  he  had  given  little  heed 
to  the  poor  gardener,  thinking  that  his  innocence  would 
appear  of  itself  when  the  real  criminal  was  arrested. 
He  was  about  to  reply,  when  footsteps  and  voices  were 
heard  in  the  corridor. 

"  Stop,"  said  M.  Domini.  "  Doubtless  we  shall  now 
hear  something  important  about  Guespin." 

"  Are  you  expecting  some  new  witness  ?  "  asked  M. 
Plantat. 

"  No ;  I  expect  one  of  the  Corbeil  police  to  whom  I 
have  given  an  important  mission." 

"  Regarding  Guespin  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Very  early  this  morning  a  young  working- 
woman  of  the  town,  whom  Guespin  has  been  courting, 


29o        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

brought  me  an  excellent  photograph  of  him.  I  gave 
this  portrait  to  the  agent  with  instructions  to  go  to  the 
Vulcan's  Forges  and  ascertain  if  Guespin  had  been  seen 
there,  and  whether  he  bought  anything  there  night 
before  last." 

M.  Lecoq  was  inclined  to  be  jealous  ;  the  judge's  pro- 
ceeding ruffled  him,  and  he  could  not  conceal  an  ex- 
pressive grimace. 

"  I  am  truly  grieved,"  said  he,  dryly,  "  that  Monsieur 
the  Judge  has  so  little  confidence  in  me  that  he  thinks 
it  necessary  to  give  me  assistance." 

This  sensitiveness  aroused  M.  Domini,  who  replied : 

"  Eh !  my  dear  man,  you  can't  be  everywhere  at  once. 
I  think  you  very  shrewd,  but  you  were  not  here,  and  I 
was  in  a  hurry." 

"  A  false  step  is  often  irreparable." 

"  Make  yourself  easy ;  I've  sent  an  intelligent  man." 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  the  policeman 
referred  to  by  the  judge  appeared  on  the  threshold.  He 
was  a  muscular  man  about  forty  years  old,  with  a  mili- 
tary pose,  a  heavy  mustache,  and  thick  brows,  meet- 
ing over  the  nose.  He  had  a  sly  rather  than  a  shrewd 
expression,  so  that  his  appearance  alone  seemed  to 
awake  all  sorts  of  suspicions  and  put  one  instinctively 
on  his  guard. 

"  Good  news !  "  said  he  in  a  big  voice.  "  I  didn't 
make  the  journey  to  Paris  for  the  King  of  Prussia ;  we 
are  right  on  the  track  of  this  rogue  of  a  Guespin." 

M.  Domini  encouraged  him  with  an  approving 
gesture. 

"  See  here,  Goulard,"  said  he,  "  let  us  go  on  in  order 
if  we  can.  You  went  then,  according  to  my  instruc- 
tions, to  the  Vulcan's  Forges  ?  " 

"  At  once,  Monsieur." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        29! 

"  Precisely.    Had  they  seen  the  prisoner  there  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday,  July  8th." 

"At  what  hour?" 

"  About  ten  o'clock,  a  few  minutes  before  they  shut 
up ;  so  that  he  was  remarked,  and  the  more  distinctly 
observed." 

The  judge  moved  his  lips  as  if  to  make  an  objection, 
but  was  stopped  by  a  gesture  from  M.  Lecoq. 

"  And  who  recognized  the  photograph  ?  " 

"  Three  of  the  clerks.  Guespin's  manner  first  at- 
tracted their  attention.  It  was  strange,  so  they  said, 
and  they  thought  he  was  drunk,  or  at  least  tipsy.  Then 
their  recollection  was  fixed  by  his  talking  very  fast,  say- 
ing that  he  was  going  to  patronize  them  a  great  deal, 
and  that  if  they  would  make  a  reduction  in  their  prices 
he  would  procure  for  them  the  custom  of  an  establish- 
ment whose  confidence  he  possessed,  the  Gentil  Jardi- 
nier,  which  bought  a  great  many  gardening  tools." 

M.  Domini  interrupted  the  examination  to  consult 
some  papers  which  lay  before  him  on  his  desk.  It  was, 
he  found,  the  Gentil  Jardinier  which  had  procured 
Guespin  his  place  in  Tremorel's  household.  The  judge 
remarked  this  aloud,  and  added : 

"  The  question  of  identity  seems  to  be  settled. 
Guespin  was  undoubtedly  at  the  Vulcan's  Forges  on 
Wednesday  night." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  him,"  M.  Lecoq  could  not 
help  muttering. 

The  judge  heard  him,  but  though  the  remark  seemed 
singular  to  him  he  did  not  notice  it,  and  went  on  ques- 
tioning the  agent. 

"  Well,  did  they  tell  you  what  Guespin  went  there  to 
obtain?" 


292        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  The  clerks  recollected  it  perfectly.  He  first  bought 
a  hammer,  a  cold  chisel,  and  a  file." 

"  I  knew  it,"  exclaimed  the  judge.    "  And  then  ?  " 

"  Then- 
Here  the  man,  ambitious  to  make  a  sensation  among 
his  hearers,  rolled  his  eyes  tragically,  and  in  a  dramatic 
tone,  added: 

"  Then  he  bought  a  dirk  knife !  " 

The  judge  felt  that  he  was  triumphing  over  M. 
Lecoq. 

"  Well,"  said  he  to  the  detective  in  his  most  ironical 
tone,  "  what  do  you 'think  of  your  friend  now?  What 
do  you  say  to  this  honest  and  worthy  young  man,  who, 
on  the  very  night  of  the  crime,  leaves  a  wedding  where 
he  would  have  had  a  good  time,  to  go  and  buy  a  ham- 
mer, a  chisel,  and  a  dirk — everything,  in  short,  used  in 
the  murder  and  the  mutilation  of  the  body?  " 

Dr.  Gendron  seemed  a  little  disconcerted  at  this,  but 
a  sly  smile  overspread  M.  Plantat's  face.  As  for  M. 
Lecoq,  he  had  the  air  of  one  who  is  shocked  by  objec- 
tions which  he  knows  he  ought  to  annihilate  by  a  word, 
and  yet  who  is  fain  to  be  resigned  to  waste  time  in  use- 
less talk,  which  he  might  put  to  great  profit. 

"  I  think,  Monsieur,"  said  he,  very  humbly,  "  that 
the  murderers  at  Valfeuillu  did  not  use  either  a  hammer 
or  a  chisel,  or  a  file,  and  that  they  brought  no  instru- 
ment at  all  from  outside — since  they  used  a  hammer." 

"And  didn't  they  have  a  dirk  besides?"  asked  the 
judge  in  a  bantering  tone,  confident  that  he  was  on  the 
right  path. 

"  That  is  another  question,  I  confess ;  but  it  is  a  diffi- 
cult one  to  answer." 

He  began  to  lose  patience.  He  turned  toward  the 
Corbeil  policeman,  and  abruptly  asked  him : 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        293 

"  Is  this  all  you  know  ?  " 

The  big  man  with  the  thick  eyebrows  superciliously 
eyed  this  little  Parisian  who  dared  to  question  him  thus. 
He  hesitated  so  long  that  M.  Lecoq,  more  rudely  than 
before,  repeated  his  question. 

"  Yes,  that's  all,"  said  Goulard  at  last,  "  and  I  think 
it's  sufficient ;  the  judge  thinks  so  too ;  and  he  is  the 
only  person  who  gives  me  orders,  and  whose  approba- 
tion I  wish  for." 

M.  Lecoq  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  proceeded: 

"  Let's  see ;  did  you  ask  what  was  the  shape  of  the 
dirk  bought  by  Guespin  ?  Was  it  long  or  short,  wide 
or  narrow  ?  " 

"  Faith,  no.    What  was  the  use  ?  " 

"  Simply,  my  brave  fellow,  to  compare  this  weapon 
with  the  victim's  wounds,  and  to  see  whether  its  handle 
corresponds  to  that  which  left  a  distinct  and  visible  im- 
print between  the  victim's  shoulders." 

"  I  forgot  it ;  but  it  is  easily  remedied." 

"  An  oversight  may,  of  course,  be  pardoned ;  but  you 
can  at  least  tell  us  in  what  sort  of  money  Guespin  paid 
for  his  purchases  ?  " 

The  poor  man  seemed  so  embarrassed,  humiliated, 
and  vexed,  that  the  judge  hastened  to  his  assistance. 

"  The  money  is  of  little  consequence,  it  seems  to  me," 
said  he. 

"  I  beg  you  to  excuse  me  if  I  don't  agree  with  you," 
returned  M.  Lecoq.  "  This  matter  may  be  a  very  grave 
one.  What  is  the  most  serious  evidence  against  Gues- 
pin ?  The  money  found  in  his  pocket.  Let  us  suppose 
for  a  moment  that  night  before  last,  at  ten  o'clock,  he 
changed  a  one-thousand-franc  note  in  Paris.  Could  the 
obtaining  of  that  note  have  been  the  motive  of  the 
crime  at  Valfeuillu  ?  No,  for  up  to  that  hour  the  crime 


294        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

had  not  been  committed.  Where  could  it  have  come 
from  ?  That  is  no  concern  of  mine,  at  present.  But  if 
my  theory  is  correct,  justice  will  be  forced  to  agree 
that  the  several  hundred  francs  found  in  Guespin's  pos- 
session can  and  must  be  the  change  for  the  note." 

"  That  is  only  a  theory,"  urged  M.  Domini  in  an  irri- 
tated tone. 

"  That  is  true ;  but  one  which  may  turn  out  a  cer- 
tainty. It  remains  for  me  to  ask  this  man  how  Guespin 
carried  away  the  articles  which  he  bought?  Did  he 
simply  slip  them  into  his  pocket,  or  did  he  have  them 
done  up  in  a  bundle,  and  if  so,  how  ?  " 

The  detective  spoke  in  a  sharp,  hard,  freezing  tone, 
with  a  bitter  raillery  in  it,  frightening  his  Corbeil  col- 
league out  of  his  assurance. 

"  I  don't  know,"  stammered  the  latter.  "  They  didn't 
tell  me — I  thought " 

M.  Lecoq  raised  his  hands  as  if  to  call  the  heavens  to 
witness:  in  his  heart,  he  was  charmed  with  this  fine 
occasion  to  revenge  himself  for  M.  Domini's  disdain. 
He  could  not,  dared  not  say  anything  to  the  judge; 
but  he  had  the  right  to  banter  the  agent  and  visit  his 
wrath  upon  him. 

"  Ah  so,  my  lad,"  said  he,  "  what  did  you  go  to  Paris 
for?  To  show  Guespin's  picture  and  detail  the  crime  to 
the  people  at  Vulcan's  Forges  ?  They  ought  to  be  very 
grateful  to  you ;  but  Madame  Petit,  Monsieur  Plantat's 
housekeeper,  would  have  done  as  much." 

At  this  stroke  the  man  began  to  get  angry;  he 
frowned,  and  in  his  bluff est  tone,  began: 

"  Look  here  now,  you " 

"  Ta,  ta,  ta,"  interrupted  M.  Lecoq.  "  Let  me  alone, 
and  know  who  is  talking  to  you.  I  am  Monsieur  Le- 
coq." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        295 

The  effect  of  the  famous  detective's  name  on  his  an- 
tagonist was  magical.  He  naturally  laid  down  his  arms 
and  surrendered,  straightway  becoming  respectful  and 
obsequious.  It  almost  flattered  him  to  be  roughly  han- 
dled by  such  a  celebrity.  He  muttered,  in  an  abashed 
and  admiring  tone : 

"  What,  is  it  possible?    You,  Monsieur  Lecoq!  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  I,  young  man  ;  but  console  yourself ;  I  bear 
no  grudge  against  you.  You  don't  know  your  trade, 
but  you  have  done  me  a  service  and  you  have  brought 
us  a  convincing  proof  of  Guespin's  innocence." 

M.  Domini  looked  on  at  this  scene  with  secret  cha- 
grin. His  recruit  went  over  to  the  enemy,  yielding 
without  a  struggle  to  a  confessed  superiority.  M.  Le- 
coq's  presumption,  in  speaking  of  a  prisoner's  inno- 
cence whose  guilt  seemed  to  the  judge  indisputable,  ex- 
asperated him. 

"  And  what  is  this  tremendous  proof,  if  you  please  ?  " 
asked  he. 

"  It  is  simple  and  striking,"  answered  M.  Lecoq, 
putting  on  his  most  frivolous  air  as  his  conclusions 
narrowed  the  field  of  probabilities. 

"  You  doubtless  recollect  that  when  we  were  at  Val- 
feuillu  we  found  the  hands  of  the  clock  in  the  bedroom 
stopped  at  twenty  minutes  past  three.  Distrusting  foul 
play,  I  put  the  striking  apparatus  in  motion — do  you 
recall  it  ?  What  happened  ?  The  clock  struck  eleven. 
That  convinced  us  that  the  crime  was  committed  before 
that  hour.  But  don't  you  see  that  if  Guespin  was  at  the 
Vulcan's  Forges  at  ten  he  could  not  have  got  back  to 
Valfeuillu  before  midnight?  Therefore  it  was  not  he 
who  did  the  deed." 

The  detective,  as  he  came  to  this  conclusion,  pulled 
out  the  inevitable  box  and  helped  himself  to  a  lozenge, 


296        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

at  the  same  time  bestowing  upon  the  judge  a  smile 
which  said : 

"  Get  out  of  that,  if  you  can." 

The  judge's  whole  theory  tumbled  to  pieces  if  M.  Le- 
coq's  deductions  were  right;  but  he  could  not  admit 
that  he  had  been  so  much  deceived ;  he  could  not  re- 
nounce an  opinion  formed  by  deliberate  reflection. 

"  I  don't  pretend  that  Guespin  is  the  only  criminal," 
said  he.  "  He  could  only  have  been  an  accomplice ; 
and  that  he  was." 

"  An  accomplice  ?  No,  Judge,  he  was  a  victim.  Ah, 
Tremorel  is  a  great  rascal !  Don't  you  see  now  why  he 
put  forward  the  hands?  At  first  I  didn't  perceive  the 
object  of  advancing  the  time  five  hours ;  now  it  is  clear. 
In  order  to  implicate  Guespin  the  crime  must  appear  to 
have  been  committed  after  midnight,  and " 

He  suddenly  checked  himself  and  stopped  with  open 
mouth  and  fixed  eyes  as  a  new  idea  crossed  his  mind. 
The  judge,  who  was  bending  over  his  papers  trying  to 
find  something  to  sustain  his  position,  did  not  perceive 
this. 

"  But  then,"  said  the  latter,  "  how  do  you  explain 
Guespin's  refusal  to  speak  and  to  give  an  account  of 
where  he  spent  the  night  ?  " 

M.  Lecoq  had  now  recovered  from  his  emotion,  and 
Dr.  Gendron  and  M.  Plantat,  who  were  watching  him 
with  the  deepest  attention,  saw  a  triumphant  light  in 
his  eyes.  Doubtless  he  had  just  found  a  solution  of  the 
problem  which  had  been  put  to  him. 

"  I  understand,"  replied  he,  "  and  can  explain  Gues- 
pin's obstinate  silence.  I  should  be  perfectly  amazed 
if  he  decided  to  speak  just  now." 

M.  Domini  misconstrued  the  meaning  of  this ;  he 
thought  he  saw  in  it  a  covert  intention  to  banter  him. 


THE    MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        297 

"  He  has  had  a  night  to  reflect  upon  it,"  he  answered. 
"  Is  not  twelve  hours  enough  to  mature  a  system  of 
defence  ?  " 

The  detective  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"  It  is  certain  that  he  does  not  need  it,"  said  he. 
"  Our  prisoner  doesn't  trouble  himself  about  a  system 
of  defence,  that  I'll  swear  to." 

"  He  keeps  quiet,  because  he  hasn't  been  able  to  get 
up  a  plausible  story." 

"  No,  no ;  believe  me,  he  isn't  trying  to  get  up  one. 
In  my  opinion,  Guespin  is  a  victim ;  that  is,  I  suspect 
Tremorel  of  having  set  an  infamous  trap  for  him,  into 
which  he  has  fallen,  and  in  which  he  sees  himself  so 
completely  caught  that  he  thinks  it  useless  to  struggle. 
The  poor  wretch  is  convinced  that  the  more  he  resists 
the  more  surely  he  will  tighten  the  web  that  is  woven 
around  him." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  said  M.  Plantat. 

"  The  true  criminal,  Count  Hector,"  resumed  the 
detective,  "  lost  his  presence  of  mind  at  the  last  mo- 
ment, and  thus  lost  all  the  advantages  which  his  previ- 
ous caution  had  gained.  Don't  let  us  forget  that  he 
is  an  able  man,  perfidious  enough  to  mature  the  most 
infamous  stratagems,  and  unscrupulous  enough  to  exe- 
cute them.  He  knows  that  justice  must  have  its  vic- 
tims, one  for  every  crime ;  he  does  not  forget  that  the 
police,  as  long  as  it  has  not  the  criminal,  is  always  on 
the  search  with  eye  and  ear  open  ;  and  he  has  thrown  us 
Guespin  as  a  huntsman,  closely  pressed,  throws  his 
glove  to  the  bear  that  is  close  upon  him.  Perhaps  he 
thought  that  the  innocent  man  would  not  be  in  danger 
of  his  life ;  at  all  events  he  hoped  to  gain  time  by  this 
ruse ;  while  the  bear  is  smelling  and  turning  over  the 
glove,  the  huntsman  gains  ground,  escapes  and  reaches 


298        THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL 

his  place  of  refuge ;  that  was  what  Tremorel  proposed 
to  do." 

The  Corbeil  policeman  was  now  undoubtedly  Le- 
coq's  most  enthusiastic  listener.  Goulard  literally 
drank  in  his  chief's  words.  He  had  never  heard  any  of 
his  colleagues  express  themselves  with  such  fervor  and 
authority ;  he  had  had  no  idea  of  such  eloquence,  and  he 
stood  erect,  as  if  some  of  the  admiration  which  he  saw 
in  all  the  faces  were  reflected  back  on  him.  He  grew  in 
his  own  esteem  as  he  thought  that  he  was  a  soldier  in 
an  army  commanded  by  such  generals.  He  had  no 
longer  any  opinion  excepting  that  of  his  superior.  It 
was  not  so  easy  to  persuade,  subjugate,  and  convince 
the  judge. 

"  But,"  objected  the  latter,  "  you  saw  Guespin's 
countenance  ?  " 

"  Ah,  what  matters  the  countenance — what  does  that 
prove  ?  Don't  we  know  if  you  and  I  were  arrested  to- 
morrow on  a  terrible  charge,  what  our  bearing  would 
be?" 

M.  Domini  gave  a  significant  start;  this  hypothesis 
scarcely  pleased  him. 

"  And  yet  you  and  I  are  familiar  with  the  machinery 
of  justice.  When  I  arrested  Lanscot,  the  poor  servant 
in  the  Rue  Marignan,  his  first  words  were :  '  Come  on, 
my  account  is  good.'  The  morning  that  Papa  Tabaret 
and  I  took  the  Viscount  de  Commarin  as  he  was  get- 
ting out  of  bed,  on  the  accusation  of  having  murdered 
the  widow  Lerouge,  he  cried :  '  I  am  lost.'  Yet 
neither  of  them  were  guilty ;  but  both  of  them,  the  vis- 
count and  the  valet,  equal  before  the  terror  of  a  possible 
mistake  of  justice,  and  running  over  in  their  thoughts 
the  charges  which  would  be  brought  against  them,  had 
a  moment  of  overwhelming  discouragement." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        299 

"  But  such  discouragement  does  not  last  two  days," 
said  M.  Domini. 

M.  Lecoq  did  not  answer  this ;  he  went  on,  growing 
more  animated  as  he  proceeded. 

"  You  and  I  have  seen  enough  prisoners  to  know 
how  deceitful  appearances  are,  and  how  little  they  are  to 
be  trusted.  It  would  be  foolish  to  base  a  theory  upon 
a  prisoner's  bearing.  He  who  talked  about  '  the  cry 
of  innocence '  was  an  idiot,  just  as  the  man  was  who 
prated  about  the  '  pale  stupor  '  of  guilt.  Neither  crime 
nor  virtue  have,  unhappily,  any  especial  countenance. 
The  Simon  girl,  who  was  accused  of  having  killed  her 
father,  absolutely  refused  to  answer  any  questions  for 
twenty-two  days;  on  the  twenty-third,  the  murderer 
was  caught.  As  to  the  Sylvain  affair " 

M.  Domini  rapped  lightly  on  his  desk  to  check  the 
detective.  As  a  man,  the  judge  held  too  obstinately 
to  his  opinions ;  as  a  magistrate  he  was  equally  ob- 
stinate, but  was  at  the  same  time  ready  to  make  any 
sacrifice  of  his  self-esteem  if  the  voice  of  duty  prompted 
it.  M.  Lecoq's  arguments  had  not  shaken  his  convic- 
tions, but  they  imposed  on  him  the  duty  of  informing 
himself  at  once,  and  to  either  conquer  the  detective  or 
avow  himself  conquered. 

"  You  seem  to  be  pleading,"  said  he  to  M.  Lecoq. 
"  There  is  no  need  of  that  here.  We  are  not  counsel 
and  judge ;  the  same  honorable  intentions  animate  us 
both.  Each,  in  his  sphere,  is  searching  after  the  truth. 
You  think  you  see  it  shining  where  I  only  discern 
clouds  ;  and  you  may  be  mistaken  as  well  as  I." 

Then  by  an  act  of  heroism,  he  condescended  to  add : 

"  What  do  you  think  I  ought  to  do  ?  " 

The  judge  was  at  least  rewarded  for  the  effort  he 
made  by  approving  glances  from  M.  Plantat  and  the, 


300        THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

doctor.  But  M.  Lecoq  did  not  hasten  to  respond ;  he 
had  many  weighty  reasons  to  advance ;  that,  he  saw, 
was  not  what  was  necessary.  He  ought  to  present  the 
facts,  there  and  at  once,  and  produce  one  of  those  proofs 
which  can  be  touched  with  the  finger.  How  should  he 
do  it?  His  active  mind  searched  eagerly  for  such  a 
proof. 

"  Well  ?"  insisted  M.  Domini. 

"  Ah,"  cried  the  detective.  "  Why  can't  I  ask  Gues- 
pin  two  or  three  questions  ?  " 

The  judge  frowned;  the  suggestion  seemed  to  him 
rather  presumptuous.  It  is  formally  laid  down  that  the 
questioning  of  the  accused  should  be  done  in  secret,  and 
by  the  judge  alone,  aided  by  his  clerk.  On  the  other 
hand  it  is  decided,  that  after  he  has  once  been  interro- 
gated he  may  be  confronted  with  witnesses.  There  are, 
besides,  exceptions  in  favor  of  the  members  of  the 
police  force.  M.  Domini  reflected  whether  there  were 
any  precedents  to  apply  to  the  case. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  answered  at  last,  "  to  what  point 
the  law  permits  me  to  consent  to  what  you  ask.  How- 
ever, as  I  am  convinced  the  interests  of  truth  outweigh 
all  rules,  I  shall  take  it  on  myself  to  let  you  question 
Guespin." 

He  rang;  a  bailiff  appeared. 

"  Has  Guespin  been  carried  back  to  prison  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  Monsieur." 

"  So  much  the  better ;  have  him  brought  in  here." 

M.  Lecoq  was  beside  himself  with  joy;  he  had  not 
hoped  to  achieve  such  a  victory  over  one  so  determined 
as  M.  Domini. 

"  He  will  speak  now,"  said  he,  so  full  of  confidence 
that  his  eyes  shone,  and  he  forgot  the  portrait  of  the 
dear  defunct,  "  for  I  have  three  means  of  unloosening 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        301 

his  tongue,  one  of  which  is  sure  to  succeed.  But  be- 
fore he  comes  I  should  like  to  know  one  thing.  Do 
you  know  whether  Tremorel  saw  Jenny  after  Sau- 
vresy's  death  ?  " 

"  Jenny  ?  "  asked  M.  Plantat,  a  little  surprised. 

"  Yes." 

"  Certainly  he  did." 

"Several  times?" 

"  Pretty  often.  After  the  scene  at  the  Belle  Image 
the  poor  girl  plunged  into  terrible  dissipation.  Whether 
she  was  smitten  with  remorse,  or  understood  that  it 
was  her  conduct  which  had  killed  Sauvresy,  or  sus- 
pected the  crime,  I  don't  know.  She  began,  however, 
to  drink  furiously,  falling  lower  and  lower  every 
week " 

"  And  the  count  really  consented  to  see  her  again  ?  " 

"  He  was  forced  to  do  so ;  she  tormented  him,  and 
he  was  afraid  of  her.  When  she  had  spent  all  her 
money  she  sent  to  him  for  more,  and  he  gave  it.  Once 
he  refused ;  and  that  very  evening  she  went  to  him  the 
worse  for  wine,  and  he  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  the 
world  to  send  her  away  again.  In  short,  she  knew 
what  his  relations  with  Madame  Sauvresy  had  been, 
and  she  threatened  him ;  it  was  a  regular  black-mailing 
operation.  He  told  me  all  about  the  trouble  she  gave 
him,  and  added  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  rid  of 
her  without  shutting  her  up,  which  he  could  not  bring 
himself  to  do." 

"  How  long  ago  was  their  last  interview  ?  " 

"  Why,"  answered  the  doctor,  "  not  three  weeks  ago, 
when  I  had  a  consultation  at  Melun,  I  saw  the  count 
and  this  demoiselle  at  a  hotel  window;  when  he  saw 
me  he  suddenly  drew  back." 


302        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Then,"  said  the  detective,  "  there  is  no  longer  any 
doubt- 
He  stopped.  Guespin  came  in  between  two  gen- 
darmes. 

The  unhappy  gardener  had  aged  twenty  years  in 
twenty-four  hours.  His  eyes  were  haggard,  his  dry 
lips  were  bordered  with  foam. 

"  Let  us  see,"  said  the  judge.  "  Have  you  changed 
your  mind  about  speaking?  " 

The  prisoner  did  not  answer. 

"  Have  you  decided  to  tell  us  about  yourself?  " 

Guespin's  rage  made  him  tremble  from  head  to  foot, 
and  his  eyes  became  fiery. 

"  Speak !  "  said  he  hoarsely.    "  Why  should  I  ?  " 

He  added  with  the  gesture  of  a  desperate  man  who 
abandons  himself,  renounces  all  struggling  and  all 
hope : 

"  What  have  I  done  to  you,  my  God,  that  you  torture 
me  this  way  ?  What  do  you  want  me  to  say  ?  That  I 
did  this  crime — is  that  what  you  want?  Well,  then — 
yes — it  was  I.  Now  you  are  satisfied.  Now  cut  my 
head  off,  and  do  it  quick — for  I  don't  want  to  suffer  any 
longer." 

A  mournful  silence  welcomed  Guespin's  declaration. 
What,  he  confessed  it ! 

M.  Domini  had  at  least  the  good  taste  not  to  exult ; 
he  kept  still,  and  yet  this  avowal  surprised  him  beyond 
all  expression. 

M.  Lecoq  alone,  although  surprised,  was  not  abso- 
lutely put  out  of  countenance.  He  approached  Guespin 
and  tapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  said  in  a  paternal 
tone: 

"  Come,  comrade,  what  you  are  telling  us  is  absurd. 
Do  you  think  the  judge  has  any  secret  grudge  against 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        303 

you  ?  No,  eh  ?  Do  you  suppose  I  am  interested  to  have 
you  guillotined?  Not  at  all.  A  crime  has  been  com- 
mitted, and  we  are  trying  to  find  the  assassin.  If  you 
are  innocent,  help  us  to  find  the  man  who  isn't.  What 
were  you  doing  from  Wednesday  evening  till  Thursday 
morning  ?  " 

But  Guespin  persisted  in  his  ferocious  and  stupid 
obstinacy. 

"  I've  said  what  I  have  to  say,"  said  he. 

M.  Lecoq  changed  his  tone  to  one  of  severity,  step- 
ping back  to  watch  the  effect  he  was  about  to  produce 
upon  Guespin. 

"  You  haven't  any  right  to  hold  your  tongue.  And 
even  if  you  do,  you  fool,  the  police  know  everything. 
Your  master  sent  you  on  an  errand,  didn't  he,  on 
Wednesday  night ;  what  did  he  give  you  ?  A  one-thou- 
sand-franc note  ?  " 

The  prisoner  looked  at  M.  Lecoq  in  speechless 
amazement. 

"  No,"  he  stammered.  "  It  was  a  five-hundred-franc 
note." 

The  detective,  like  all  great  artists  in  a  critical 
scene,  was  really  moved.  His  surprising  genius  for  in- 
vestigation had  just  inspired  him  with  a  bold  stroke, 
which,  if  it  succeeded,  would  assure  him  the  victory. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  tell  me  the  woman's  name." 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  You  are  only  a  fool  then.  She  is  short,  isn't  she, 
quite  pretty,  brown  and  pale,  with  very  large  eyes  ?  " 

"  You  know  her,  then  ?  "  said  Guespin,  in  a  voice 
trembling  with  emotion. 

"  Yes,  comrade,  and  if  you  want  to  know  her  name, 
to  put  in  your  prayers,  she  is  called — Jenny." 

Men  who  are  really  able  in  some  specialty,  whatever 


3o4        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

it  may  be,  never  uselessly  abuse  their  superiority ;  their 
satisfaction  at  seeing  it  recognized  is  sufficient  reward. 
M.  Lecoq  softly  enjoyed  his  triumph,  while  his  hearers 
wondered  at  his  perspicacity.  A  rapid  chain  of  reason- 
ing had  shown  him  not  only  Tremorel's  thoughts,  but 
also  the  means  he  had  employed  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
pose. 

Guespin's  astonishment  soon  changed  to  anger.  He 
asked  himself  how  this  man  could  have  been  informed 
of  things  which  he  had  every  reason  to  believe  were 
secret.  Lecoq  continued : 

"  Since  I  have  told  you  the  woman's  name,  tell  me 
now,  how  and  why  the  count  gave  you  a  five-hundred- 
franc  note." 

"  It  was  just  as  I  was  going  out.  The  count  had  no 
change,  and  did  not  want  to  send  me  to  Orcival  for  it. 
I  was  to  bring  back  the  rest." 

"  And  why  didn't  you  rejoin  your  companions  at  the 
wedding  in  the  Batignolles  ?  " 

No  answer. 

"  What  was  the  errand  which  you  were  to  do  for  the 
count  ? " 

Guespin  hesitated.  His  eyes  wandered  from  one  to 
another  of  those  present,  and  he  seemed  to  discover  an 
ironical  expression  on  all  the  faces.  It  occurred  to  him 
that  they  were  making  sport  of  him,  and  had  set  a  snare 
into  which  he  had  fallen.  A  great  despair  took  posses- 
sion of  him. 

"  Ah,"  cried  he,  addressing  M.  Lecoq,  "  you  have  de- 
ceived me.  You  have  been  lying  so  as  to  find  out  the 
truth.  I  have  been  such  a  fool  as  to  answer  you,  and 
you  are  going  to  turn  it  all  against  me." 

"  What  ?    Are  you  going  to  talk  nonsense  again  ?  " 


THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        305 

"  No,  but  I  see.  just  how  it  is,  and  you  won't  catch  me 
again !  Now  I'd  rather  die  than  say  a  word." 

The  detective  tried  to  reassure  him ;  but  he  added : 

"  Besides,  I'm  as  sly  as  you ;  I've  told  you  nothing 
but  lies." 

This  sudden  whim  surprised  no  one.  Some  prison- 
ers intrench  themselves  behind  a  system  of  defence, 
and  nothing  can  divert  them  from  it ;  others  vary  with 
each  new  question,  denying  what  they  have  just 
affirmed,  and  constantly  inventing  some  new  absurdity 
which  anon  they  reject  again.  M.  Lecoq  tried  in  vain 
to  draw  Guespin  from  his  silence ;  M.  Domini  made  the 
same  attempt,  and  also  failed ;  to  all  questions  he  only 
answered,  "  I  don't  know." 

At  last  the  detective  waxed  impatient. 

"  See  here,"  said  he  to  Guespin,  "  I  took  you  for  a 
young  man  of  sense,  and  you  are  only  an  ass.  Do  you 
imagine  that  we  don't  know  anything?  Listen:  On 
the  night  of  Madame  Denis's  wedding,  you  were  get- 
ting ready  to  go  off  with  your  comrades,  and  had  just 
borrowed  twenty  francs  from  the  valet,  when  the  count 
called  you.  He  made  you  promise  absolute  secrecy  (a 
promise  which  to  do  you  justice,  you  kept)  ;  he  told  you 
to  leave  the  other  servants  at  the  station  and  go  to  Vul- 
can's Forges,  where  you  were  to  buy  for  him  a  ham- 
mer, a  file,  a  chisel,  and  a  dirk ;  these  you  were  to  carry 
to  a  certain  woman.  Then  he  gave  you  this  famous 
five-hundred-franc  note,  telling  you  to  bring  him  back 
the  change  when  you  returned  next  day.  Isn't  that 
so?" 

An  affirmative  response  glistened  in  the  prisoner's 
eyes ;  still,  he  answered,  "  I  don't  recollect  it." 

"  Now,"  pursued  M.  Lecoq,  "  I'm  going  to  tell  you 
what  happened  afte-rwards.  You  drank  something  and 


306 

got  tipsy,  and  in  short  spent  a  part  of  the  change  of  the 
note.  That  explains  your  fright  when  you  were  seized 
yesterday  morning,  before  anybody  said  a  word  to 
you.  You  thought  you  were  being  arrested  for  spend- 
ing that  money.  Then,  when  you  learned  that  the  count 
had  been  murdered  during  the  night,  recollecting  that 
on  the  evening  before  you  had  bought  all  kinds  of  in- 
struments of  theft  and  murder,  and  that  you  didn't 
know  either  the  address  or  the  name  of  the  woman  to 
whom  you  gave  up  the  package,  convinced  that  if  you 
explained  the  source  of  the  money  found  in  your 
pocket,  you  would  not  be  believed — then,  instead  of 
thinking  of  the  means  to  prove  your  innocence,  you  be- 
came afraid,  and  thought  you  would  save  yourself  by 
holding  your  tongue." 

The  prisoner's  countenance  visibly  changed;  his 
nerves  relaxed ;  his  tight  lips  fell  apart ;  his  mind 
opened  itself  to  hope.  But  he  still  resisted. 

"  Do  with  me  as  you  like,"  said  he. 

"  Eh !  What  should  we  do  with  such  a  fool  as  you  ?  " 
cried  M.  Lecoq  angrily.  "  I  begin  to  think  you  are  a 
rascal  too.  A  decent  fellow  would  see  that  we  wanted 
to  get  him  out  of  a  scrape,  and  he'd  tell  us  the  truth. 
You  are  prolonging  your  imprisonment  by  your  own 
will.  You'd  better  learn  that  the  greatest  shrewdness 
consists  in  telling  the  truth.  A  last  time,  will  you 
answer?  " 

Guespin  shook  his  head ;  no. 

"  Go  back  to  prison,  then,  since  it  pleases  you,"  con- 
cluded the  detective.  He  looked  at  the  judge  for  his 
approval,  and  added: 

"  Gendarmes,  remove  the  prisoner." 

The  judge's  last  doubt  was  dissipated  like  the  mist 
before  the  sun.  He  was,  to  tell  the  truth,  a  little  un- 


THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        3°7 

easy  at  having  treated  the  detective  so  rudely ;  and  he 
tried  to  repair  it  as  much  as  he  could. 

"  You  are  an  able  man,  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  said  he. 
"  Without  speaking  of  your  clearsightedness,  which  is 
so  prompt  as  to  seem  almost  like  second  sight,  your  ex- 
amination just  now  was  a  master-piece  of  its  kind.  Re- 
ceive my  congratulations,  to  say  nothing  of  the  reward 
which  I  propose  to  recommend  in  your  favor  to  your 
chiefs." 

The  detective  at  these  compliments  cast  down  his 
eyes  with  the  abashed  air  of  a  virgin.  He  looked  ten- 
derly at  the  dear  defunct's  portrait,  and  doubtless  said 
to  it: 

"  At  last,  darling,  we  have  defeated  him — this  aus- 
tere judge  who  so  heartily  detests  the  force  of  which 
we  are  the  brightest  ornament,  makes  his  apologies ;  he 
recognizes  and  applauds  our  services." 

He  answered  aloud: 

"  I  can  only  accept  half  of  your  eulogies,  Monsieur ; 
permit  me  to  offer  the  other  half  to  my  friend  Monsieur 
Plantat." 

M.  Plantat  tried  to  protest. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  only  for  some  bits  of  information ! 
You  would  have  ferreted  out  the  truth  without  me  all 
the  same." 

The  judge  arose  and  graciously,  but  not  without 
effort,  extended  his  hand  to  M.  Lecoq,  who  respectfully 
pressed  it. 

"  You  have  spared  me,"  said  the  judge,  "  a  great  re- 
morse. Guespin's  innocence  would  surely  sooner  or 
later  have  been  recognized ;  but  the  idea  of  having  im- 
prisoned an  innocent  man  and  harassed  him  with  my 
interrogatories,  would  have  disturbed  my  sleep  and  tor- 
mented my  conscience  for  a  long  time." 


3o8        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

"  God  knows  this  poor  Guespin  is  not  an  interesting 
youth,"  returned  the  detective.  "  I  should  be  disposed 
to  press  him  hard  were  I  not  certain  that  he's  half  a 
fool." 

M.  Domini  gave  a  start. 

"  I  shall  discharge  him  this  very  day,"  said  he,  "  this 
very  hour." 

"  It  will  be  an  act  of  charity,"  said  M.  Lecoq ;  "  but 
confound  his  obstinacy ;  it  was  so  easy  for  him  to  sim- 
plify my  task.  I  might  be  able,  by  the  aid  of  chance, 
to  collect  the  principal  facts — the  errand,  and  a  woman 
being  mixed  up  in  the  affair ;  but  as  I'm  no  magician, 
I  couldn't  guess  all  the  details.  How  is  Jenny  mixed 
up  in  this  affair  ?  Is  she  an  accomplice,  or  has  she  only 
been  made  to  play  an  ignorant  part  in  it?  Where  did 
she  meet  Guespin  and  whither  did  she  lead  him  ?  It  is 
clear  that  she  made  the  poor  fellow  tipsy  so  as  to  pre- 
vent his  going  to  the  Batignolles.  Tremorel  must  have 
told  her  some  false  story — but  what  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  Tremorel  troubled  his  head  about  so 
small  a  matter,"  said  M.  Plantat.  "  He  gave  Guespin 
and  Jenny  some  task,  without  explaining  it  at  all." 

M.  Lecoq  reflected  a  moment. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right.  But  Jenny  must  have  had 
special  orders  to  prevent  Guespin  from  putting  in  an 
alibi." 

"  But,"  said  M.  Domini,  "  Jenny  will  explain  it  all  to 
us." 

"  That  is  what  I  rely  on ;  and  I  hope  that  within 
forty-eight  hours  I  shall  have  found  her  and  brought 
her  safely  to  Corbeil." 

He  rose  at  these  words,  took  his  cane  and  hat,  and 
turning  to  the  judge,  said : 

"  Before  retiring " 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        309 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  interrupted  M.  Domini,  "  you  want 
a  warrant  to  arrest  Hector  de  Tremorel." 

"  I  do,  as  you  are  now  of  my  opinion  that  he  is  still 
alive." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

M.  Domini  opened  his  portfolio  and  wrote  off  a  war- 
rant as  follows: 

"  By  the  law : 

"  We,  judge  of  instruction  of  the  first  tribunal,  etc., 
considering  articles  91  and  94  of  the  code  of  criminal 
instruction,  command  and  ordain  to  all  the  agents  of 
the  police  to  arrest,  in  conformity  with  the  law,  one 
Hector  de  Tremorel,  etc." 

When  he  had  finished,  he  said : 

"  Here  it  is,  and  may  you  succeed  in  speedily  finding 
this  great  criminal." 

"  Oh,  he'll  find  him,"  cried  the  Corbeil  policeman. 

"  I  hope  so,  at  least.  As  to  how  I  shall  go  to  work, 
I  don't  know  yet.  I  will  arrange  my  plan  of  battle  to- 
night." 

The  detective  then  took  leave  of  M.  Domini  and  re- 
tired, followed  by  M.  Plantat.  The  doctor  remained 
with  the  judge  to  make  arrangements  for  Sauvresy's 
exhumation. 

M.  Lecoq  was  just  leaving  the  court-house  when  he 
felt  himself  pulled  by  the  arm.  He  turned  and  found 
that  it  was  Goulard  who  came  to  beg  his  favor  and  to 
ask  him  to  take  him  along,  persuaded  that  after  having 
served  under  so  great  a  captain  he  must  inevitably  be- 
come a  famous  man  himself.  M.  Lecoq  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  getting  rid  of  him ;  but  he  at  length  found  him- 
self alone  in  the  street  with  the  old  justice  of  the  peace. 

"  It  is  late,"  said  the  latter.    "  Would  it  be  agreeable 


3io        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

to  you  to  partake  of  another  modest  dinner  with  me, 
and  accept  my  cordial  hospitality  ?  " 

"  I  am  chagrined  to  be  obliged  to  refuse  you,"  re- 
plied M.  Lecoq.  "  But  I  ought  to  be  in  Paris  this  even- 
ing." 

"  But  I — in  fact,  I — was  very  anxious  to  talk  to  you 
— about ' 

"  About  Mademoiselle  Laurence  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  have  a  plan,  and  if  you  would  help  me " 

M.  Lecoq  affectionately  pressed  his  friend's  hand. 

"  I  have  only  known  you  a  few  hours,"  said  he,  "  and 
yet  I  am  as  devoted  to  you  as  I  would  be  to  an  old 
friend.  All  that  is  humanly  possible  for  me  to  do  to 
serve  you,  I  shall  certainly  do." 

"  But  where  shall  I  see  you  ?  They  expect  me  to- 
day at  Orcival." 

"  Very  well ;  to-morrow  morning  at  nine,  at  my 
rooms,  No  —  Rue  Montmartre." 

"  A  thousand  thanks ;  I  shall  be  there." 

When  they  had  reached  the  Belle  Image  they  sep- 
arated. 

XXIV 

Nine  o'clock  had  just  struck  in  the  belfry  of  the 
church  of  St.  Eustache,  when  M.  Plantat  reached  Rue 
Montmartre,  and  entered  the  house  bearing  the  num- 
ber which  M.  Lecoq  had  given  him. 

"  Monsieur  Lecoq?  "  said  he  to  an  old  woman  who 
was  engaged  in  getting  breakfast  for  three  large  cats 
which  were  mewing  around  her.  The  woman  scanned 
him  with  a  surprised  and  suspicious  air.  M.  Plantat, 
when  he  was  dressed  up,  had  much  more  the  appear- 
ance of  a  fine  old  geatleman  than  of  a  country  attorney ; 
and  though  the  detective  received  many  visits  from  all 


Nine  o'clock  had  just  struck  in  the  belfry  of  the  church  of  St. 
Eustache  when  M.  Plantat  reached  the  Rue  Montmartre. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        311 

sorts  of  people,  it  was  rarely  that  the  denizens  of  the 
Faubourg  Saint  Germaine  rung  his  bell. 

"  Monsieur  Lecoq's  apartments,"  answered  the  old 
woman,  "  are  on  the  third  story,  the  door  facing  the 
stairs." 

The  justice  of  the  peace  slowly  ascended  the  narrow, 
ill-lighted  staircase,  which  in  its  dark  corners  was  al- 
most dangerous.  He  was  thinking  of  the  strange  step 
he  was  about  to  take.  An  idea  had  occurred  to  him, 
but  he  did  not  know  whether  it  were  practicable,  and 
at  all  events  he  needed  the  aid  and  advice  of  the  detec- 
tive. He  was  forced  to  disclose  his  most  secret 
thoughts,  as  it  were,  to  confess  himself ;  and  his  heart 
beat  fast.  The  door  opposite  the  staircase  on  the  third 
story  was  not  like  other  doors ;  it  was  of  plain  oak, 
thick,  without  mouldings,  and  fastened  with  iron  bars. 
It  would  have  looked  like  a  prison  door  had  not  its 
sombreness  been  lightened  by  a  heavily  colored  en- 
graving of  a  cock  crowing,  with  the  legend  "  Always 
Vigilant."  Had  the  detective  put  his  coat  of  arms  up 
there  ?  Was  it  not  more  likely  that  one  of  his  men  had 
done  it?  After  examining  the  door  more  than  a  min- 
ute, and  hesitating  like  a  youth  before  his  beloved's 
gate,  he  rang  the  bell.  A  creaking  of  locks  responded, 
and  through  the  narrow  bars  of  the  peephole  he  saw 
the  hairy  face  of  an  old  crone. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  said  the  woman,  in  a  deep, 
bass  voice. 

"  Monsieur  Lecoq." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  him  ?  " 

"  He  made  an  appointment  with  me  for  this  morn- 
ing." 

"  Your  name  and  business  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  Plantat,  justice  of  the  peace  at  Orcival." 


3i2        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  All  right.    Wait." 

The  peephole  was  closed  and  the  old  man  waited. 

"  Peste !  "  growled  he.  "  Everybody  can't  get  in 
here,  it  seems."  Hardly  had  this  reflection  passed 
through  his  mind  when  the  door  opened  with  a  noise  as 
of  chains  and  locks.  He  entered,  and  the  old  crone, 
'after  leading  him  through  a  dining-room  whose  sole 
furniture  was  a  table  and  six  chairs,  introduced  him 
to  a  large  room,  half  toilet-room  and  half  working- 
room,  lighted  by  two  windows  looking  on  the  court, 
and  guarded  by  strong,  close  bars. 

"  If  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  sit,"  said  the  ser- 
vant, "  Monsieur  Lecoq  will  soon  be  here;  he  is  giving 
orders  to  one  of  his  men." 

But  M.  Plantat  did  not  take  a  seat ;  he  preferred  to 
examine  the  curious  apartment  in  which  he  found  him- 
self. The  whole  of  one  side  of  the  wall  was  taken  up 
with  a  long  rack,  where  hung  the  strangest  and  most  in- 
congruous suits  of  clothes.  There  were  costumes  be- 
longing to  all  grades  of  society ;  and  on  some  wooden 
pegs  above,  wigs  of  all  colors  were  hanging;  while 
boots  and  shoes  of  various  styles  were  ranged  on  the 
floor.  A  toilet-table,  covered  with  powders,  essences, 
and  paints,  stood  between  the  fireplace  and  the  window. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  room  was  a  bookcase  full  of 
scientific  works,  especially  of  physic  and  chemistry. 
The  most  singular  piece  of  furniture  in  the  aparfment, 
however,  was  a  large  ball,  shaped  like  a  lozenge,  in 
black  velvet,  suspended  beside  the  looking-glass.  A 
quantity  of  pins  were  stuck  in  this  ball,  so  as  to  form 
the  letters  composing  these  two  names:  HECTOR — 
JENNY. 

These  names  glittering  on  the  black  background  at- 
tracted the  old  man's  attention  at  once.  This  must 


THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        313 

have  been  M.  Lecoq's  reminder.  The  ball  was  meant 
to  recall  to  him  perpetually  the  people  of  whom  he  was 
in  pursuit.  Many  names,  doubtless,  had  in  turn  glit- 
tered on  that  velvet,  for  it  was  much  frayed  and  perfor- 
ated. An  unfinished  letter  lay  open  upon  the  bureau ; 
M.  Plantat  leaned  over  to  read  it;  but  he  took  his 
trouble  for  nothing,  for  it  was  written  in  cipher. 

He  had  no  sooner  finished  his  inspection  of  the  room 
than  the  noise  of  a  door  opening  made  him  turn  round. 
He  saw  before  him  a  man  of  his  own  age,  of  respectable 
mien,  and  polite  manners,  a  little  bald,  with  gold  spec- 
tacles and  a  light-colored  flannel  dressing-gown. 

M.  Plantat  bowed,  saying: 

"  I  am  waiting  here  for  Monsieur  Lecoq " 

The  man  in  gold  spectacles  burst  out  laughing,  and 
clapped  his  hands  with  glee. 

"  What,  dear  sir,"  said  he,  "  don't  you  know  me  ? 
Look  at  me  well — it  is  I — Monsieur  Lecoq !  "  And  to 
convince  him,  he  took  off  his  spectacles.  Those  might, 
indeed,  be  Lecoq's  eyes,  and  that  his  voice ;  M.  Plantat 
was  confounded. 

"  I  never  should  have  recognized  you,"  said  he. 

"  It's  true,  I  have  changed  a  little — but  what  would 
you  have  ?  It's  my  trade." 

And  pushing  a  chair  toward  his  visitor,  he  pursued : 

"  I  have  to  beg  a  thousand  pardons  for  the  formali- 
ties you've  had  to  endure  to  get  in  here;  it's  a  dire 
necessity,  but  one  I  can't  help.  I  have  told  you  of  the 
dangers  to  which  I  am  exposed ;  they  pursue  me  to  my 
very  door.  Why,  last  week  a  railway  porter  brought  a 
package  here  addressed  to  me.  Janouille — that's  my 
old  woman — suspected  nothing,  though  she  has  a  sharp 
nose,  and  told  him  to  come  in.  He  held  out  the  pack- 
age, I  went  up  to  take  it,  when  pif !  paf !  off  went  two 


3i4        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

pistol-shots.  The  package  was  a  revolver  wrapped  up 
in  oilcloth,  and  the  porter  was  a  convict  escaped  from 
Cayenne,  caught  by  me  last  year.  Ah,  I  put  him 
through  for  this  though !  " 

He  told  this  adventure  carelessly,  as  if  it  were  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 

"  But  let's  not  starve  ourselves  'o  death,"  he  con- 
tinued, ringing  the  bell.  The  old  hag  appeared,  and  he 
ordered  her  to  bring  on  breakfast  forthwith,  and  above 
all,  some  good  wine. 

"  You  are  observing  my  Janouille,"  remarked  he,  see- 
ing that  M.  Plantat  looked  curiously  at  the  servant. 
"  She's  a  pearl,  my  dear  friend,  who  watches  over  me 
as  if  I  were  her  child,  and  would  go  through  the  fire 
for  me.  I  had  a  good  deal  of  trouble  the  other  day  to 
prevent  her  strangling  the  false  railway  porter.  I 
picked  her  out  of  three  or  four  thousand  convicts.  She 
had  been  convicted  of  infanticide  and  arson.  I  would 
bet  a  hundred  to  one  that,  during  the  three  years  that 
she  has  been  in  my  service,  she  has  not  even  thought 
of  robbing  me  of  so  much  as  a  centime." 

But  M.  Plantat  only  listened  to  him  with  one  ear ;  he 
was  trying  to  find  an  excuse  for  cutting  Janouille's 
story  short,  and  to  lead  the  conversation  to  the  events 
of  the  day  before. 

"  I  have,  perhaps,  incommoded  you  a  little  this  morn- 
ing, Monsieur  Lecoq?" 

"  Me  ?  then  you  did  not  see  my  motto — '  always  vigi- 
lant ?  '  Why,  I've  been  out  ten  times  this  morning;  be- 
sides marking  out  work  for  three  of  my  men.  Ah,  we 
have  little  time  to  ourselves,  I  can  tell  you.  I  went  to 
the  Vulcan's  Forges  to  see  what  news  I  could  get  of 
that  poor  devil  of  a  Guespin." 

"  And  what  did  you  hear  ?  " 


"  That  I  had  guessed  right.  He  changed  a  five-hun- 
dred-franc note  there  last  Wednesday  evening  at  a 
quarter  before  ten." 

"  That  is  to  say,  he  is  saved  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  may  say  so.  He  will  be,  as  soon  as  we 
have  found  Miss  Jenny." 

The  old  justice  of  the  peace  could  not  avoid  showing 
his  uneasiness. 

"  That  will,  perhaps,  be  long  and  difficult  ?  " 

"  Bast !  Why  so  ?  She  is  on  my  black  ball  there — 
we  shall  have  her,  accidents  excepted,  before  night." 

"  You  really  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  I  was  sure,  to  anybody  but  you.  Re- 
flect that  this  girl  has  been  connected  with  the  Count 
de  Tremorel,  a  man  of  the  world,  a  prince  of  the  mode. 
When  a  girl  falls  to  the  gutter,  after  having,  as  they 
say,  dazzled  all  Paris  for  six  months  with  her  luxury, 
she  does  not  disappear  entirely,  like  a  stone  in  the  mud. 
When  she  has  lost  all  her  friends  there  are  still  her 
creditors,  who  follow  and  watch  her,  awaiting  the  day 
when  fortune  will  smile  on  her  once  more.  She  doesn't 
trouble  herself  about  them,  she  thinks  they've  forgotten 
her ;  a  mistake !  I  know  a  milliner  whose  head  is  a  per- 
fect dictionary  of  the  fashionable  world ;  she  has  often 
done  me  a  good  turn.  We  will  go  and  see  her  if  you 
say  so,  after  breakfast,  and  in  two  hours  she  will  give 
us  Jenny's  address.  Ah,  if  I  were  only  as  sure  of  pinch- 
ing Tremorel !  " 

M.  Plantat  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  The  conversation 
at  last  took  the  turn  he  wished. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  him,  then  ?  "  asked  he. 

"Am  I?"  shouted  M.  Lecoq,  who  started  from  his 
seat  at  the  question.  "  Now  just  look  at  my  black  ball 
there.  I  haven't  thought  of  anybody  else,  mark  you, 


3i 6        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

since  yesterday ;  I  haven't  had  a  wink  of  sleep  all  night 
for  thinking  of  him.  I  must  have  him,  and  I  will !  " 

"  I  don't  doubt  it ;  but  when  ?  " 

"  Ah,  there  it  is !  Perhaps  to-morrow,  perhaps  in  a 
month ;  it  depends  on  the  correctness  of  my  calculations 
and  the  exactness  of  my  plan." 

"  What,  is  your  plan  made  ?  " 

"  And  decided  on." 

M.  Plantat  became  attention  itself. 

"  I  start  from  the  principle  that  it  is  impossible  for 
a  man,  accompanied  by  a  woman,  to  hide  from  the 
police.  In  this  case,  the  woman  is  young,  pretty,  and 
in  a  noticeable  condition;  three  impossibilities  more. 
Admit  this,  and  we'll  study  Hector's  character.  He 
isn't  a  man  of  superior  shrewdness,  for  we  have  found 
out  all  his  dodges.  He  isn't  a  fool,  because  his  dodges 
deceived  people  who  are  by  no  means  fools.  He  is  then 
a  medium  sort  of  a  man,  and  his  education,  reading, 
relations,  and  daily  conversation  have  procured  him  a 
number  of  acquaintances  whom  he  will  try  to  use. 
Now  for  his  mind.  We  know  the  weakness  of  his  char- 
acter ;  soft,  feeble,  vacillating,  only  acting  in  the  last  ex- 
tremity. We  have  seen  him  shrinking  from  decisive 
steps,  trying  always  to  delay  matters.  He  is  given  to 
being  deceived  by  illusions,  and  to  taking  his  desires  for 
accomplished  events.  In  short,  he  is  a  coward.  And 
what  is  his  situation  ?  He  has  killed  his  wife,  he  hopes 
he  has  created  a  belief  in  his  own  death,  he  has  eloped 
with  a  young  girl,  and  he  has  got  nearly  or  quite  a  mill- 
ion of  francs  in  his  pocket.  Now,  this  position  admit- 
ted, as  well  as  the  man's  character  and  mind,  can  we 
by  an  effort  of  thought,  reasoning  from  his  known 
actions,  discover  what  he  has  done  in  such  and  such  a 
case  ?  I  think  so,  and  I  hope  I  shall  prove  it  to  you." 


M.  Lecoq  rose  and  promenaded,  as  his  habit  was,  up 
and  down  the  room.  "  Now  let's  see,"  he  continued, 
"  how  I  ought  to  proceed  in  order  to  discover  the  proba- 
ble conduct  of  a  man  whose  antecedents,  traits,  and 
mind  are  known  to  me.  To  begin  with,  I  throw  off  my 
own  individuality  and  try  to  assume  his.  I  substitute 
his  will  for  my  own.  I  cease  to  be  a  detective  and  be- 
come this  man,  whatever  he  is.  In  this  case,  for  in- 
stance, I  know  very  well  what  I  should  do  if  I  were 
Tremorel.  I  should  take  such  measures  as  would 
throw  ^11  the  detectives  in  the  universe  off  the  scent. 
But  I  must  forget  Monsieur  Lecoq  in  order  to  become 
Hector  de  Tremorel.  How  would  a  man  reason  who 
was  base  enough  to  rob  his  friend  of  his  wife,  and  then 
see  her  poison  her  husband  before  his  very  eyes  ?  We 
already  know  that  Tremorel  hesitated  a  good  while  be- 
fore deciding  to  commit  this  crime.  The  logic  of 
events,  which  fools  call  fatality,  urged  him  on.  It  is 
certain  that  he  looked  upon  the  murder  in  every  point 
of  view,  studied  its  results,  and  tried  to  find  means  to 
escape  from  justice.  All  his  acts  were  determined  on 
long  beforehand,  and  neither  immediate  necessity  nor 
unforeseen  circumstances  disturbed  his  mind.  The 
moment  he  had  decided  on  the  crime,  he  said  to  him- 
self :  '  Grant  that  Bertha  has  been  murdered ;  thanks  to 
my  precautions,  they  think  that  I  have  been  killed  too ; 
Laurence,  with  whom  I  elope,  writes  a  letter  in  which 
she  announces  her  suicide ;  I  have  money,  what  must  I 
do  ?  '  The  problem,  it  seems  to  me,  is  fairly  put  in  this 
way." 

"  Perfectly  so,"  approved  M.  Plantat. 

"  Naturally,  Tremorel  would  choose  from  among  all 
the  methods  of  flight  of  which  he  had  ever  heard,  or 
which  he  could  imagine,  that  which  seemed  to  him  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

surest  and  most  prompt.  Did  he  meditate  leaving  the 
country?  That  is  more  than  probable.  Only,  as  he 
was  not  quite  out  of  his  senses,  he  saw  that  it  was  most 
difficult,  in  a  foreign  country,  to  put  justice  off  the 
track.  If  a  man  flies  from  France  to  escape  punish- 
ment, he  acts  absurdly.  Fancy  a  man  and  woman  wan- 
dering about  a  country  of  whose  language  they  are 
ignorant;  they  attract  attention  at  once,  are  observed, 
talked  about,  followed.  They  do  not  make  a  purchase 
which  is  not  remarked;  they  cannot  make  any  move- 
ment without  exciting  curiosity.  The  further  they  go 
the  greater  their  danger.  If  they  choose  to  cross  the 
ocean  and  go  to  free  America,  they  must  go  aboard  a 
vessel ;  and  the  moment  they  do  that  they  may  be  con- 
sidered as  good  as  lost.  You  might  bet  twenty  to  one 
they  would  find,  on  landing  on  the  other  side,  a  detec- 
tive on  the  pier  armed  with  a  warrant  to  arrest  them. 
I  would  engage  to  find  a  Frenchman  in  eight  days,  even 
in  London,  unless  he  spoke  pure  enough  English  to 
pass  for  a  citizen  of  the  United  Kingdom.  Such  were 
Tremorcl's  reflections.  He  recollected  a  thousand 
futile  attempts,  a  hundred  surprising  adventures,  nar- 
rated by  the  papers ;  and  it  is  certain  that  he  gave  up  the 
idea  of  going  abroad." 

"  It's  clear,"  cried  M.  Plantat,  "  perfectly  plain  and 
precise.  We  must  look  for  the  fugitives  in  France." 

"  Yes,"  replied  M.  Lecoq.  "  Now  let's  find  out 
where  and  how  people  can  hide  themselves  in  France. 
Would  it  be  in  the  provinces  ?  Evidently  not.  In  Bor- 
deaux, one  of  our  largest  cities,  people  stare  at  a  man 
who  is  not  a  Bordelais.  The  shopkeepers  on  the  quays 
say  to  their  neighbors :  '  Eh !  do  you  know  that  man  ?  * 
There  are  two  cities,  however,  where  a  man  may  pass 
unnoticed — Marseilles  and  Lyons;  but  both  of  these 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        319 

are  distant,  and  to  reach  them  a  long  journey  must  be 
risked — and  nothing  is  so  dangerous  as  the  railway 
since  the  telegraph  was  established.  One  can  fly 
quickly,  it's  true ;  but  on  entering  a  railway  carriage  a 
man  shuts  himself  in,  and  until  he  gets  out  of  it  he  re- 
mains under  the  thumb  of  the  police.  Tremorel  knows 
all  this  as  well  as  we  do.  We  will  put  all  the  large 
towns,  including  Lyons  and  Marseilles,  out  of  the  ques- 
tion." 

"  In  short,  it's  impossible  to  hide  in  the  provinces." 

"  Excuse  me — there  is  one  means ;  that  is,  simply  to 
buy  a  modest  little  place  at  a  distance  from  towns  and 
railways,  and  to  go  and  reside  on  it  under  a  false  name. 
But  this  excellent  project  is  quite  above  Tremorel's 
capacity,  and  requires  preparatory  steps  which  he  could 
not  risk,  watched  as  he  was  by  his  wife.  The  field  of 
investigation  is  thus  much  narrowed.  Putting  aside 
foreign  parts,  the  provinces,  the  cities,  the  country, 
Paris  remains.  It  is  in  Paris  that  we  must  look  for 
Tremorel." 

M.  Lecoq  spoke  with  the  certainty  and  positiveness 
of  a  mathematical  professor;  the  old  justice  of  the 
peace  listened,  as  do  the  professor's  scholars.  But  he 
was  already  accustomed  to  the  detective's  surprising 
clearness,  and  was  no  longer  astonished.  During  the 
four-and-twehty  hours  that  he  had  been  witnessing  M. 
Lecoq's  calculations  and  gropings,  he  had  seized  the 
process  and  almost  appropriated  it  to  himself.  He 
found  this  method  of  reasoning  very  simple,  and  could 
now  explain  to  himself  certain  exploits  of  the  police 
which  had  hitherto  seemed  to  him  miraculous.  But  M. 
Lecoq's  "  narrow  field  "  of  observation  appeared  still 
immense. 

"  Paris  is  a  large  place,"  observed  the  old  justice. 


320        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

M.  Lecoq  smiled  loftily. 

"  Perhaps  so ;  but  it  is  mine.  All  Paris  is  under  the 
eye  of  the  police,  just  as  an  ant  is  under  that  of  the, 
naturalist  with  his  microscope.  How  is  it,  you  may 
ask,  that  Paris  still  holds  so  many  professional  rogues  ? 
Ah,  that  is  because  we  are  hampered  by  legal  forms'. 
The  law  compels  us  to  use  only  polite  weapons  against' 
those  to  whom  all  weapons  are  serviceable.  The  courts 
tie  our  hands.  The  rogues  are  clever,  but  be  sure  that 
our  cleverness  is  much  greater  than  theirs." 

"  But,'"  interrupted  M.  Plantat,  "  Tremorel  is  now 
outside  the  law;  we  have  the  warrant." 

"  What  matters  it  ?  Does  the  warrant  give  me  the 
right  to  search  any  house  in  which  I  may  have  reason 
to  suppose  he  is  hiding  himself?  No.  If  I  should  go 
to  the  house  of  one  of  Hector's  old  friends  he  would 
kick  me  out  of  doors.  You  must  know  that  in  France 
the  police  have  to  contend  not  only  with  the  rogues,  but 
also  with  the  honest  people." 

M.  Lecoq  always  waxed  warm  on  this  subject;  he 
felt  a  strong  resentment  against  the  injustice  prac- 
tised on  his  profession.  Fortunately,  at  the  moment 
when  he  was  most  excited,  the  black  ball  suddenly 
caught  his  eye. 

"  The  devil !  "  exclaimed  he,  "  I  was  forgetting  Hec- 
tor." 

M.  Plantat,  though  listening  patiently  to  his  com- 
panion's indignant  utterances,  could  not  help  thinking 
of  the  murderer. 

"  You  said  that  we  must  look  for  Tremorel  in  Paris," 
he  remarked. 

"  And  I  said  truly,"  responded  M.  Lecoq  in  a  calmer 
tone.  "  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  here,  per- 
haps within  two  streets  of  us,  perhaps  in  the  next  house, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        321 

the  fugitives  are  hid.  But  let's  go  on  with  our  calcula- 
tion of  probabilities.  Hector  knows  Paris  too  well  to 
hope  to  conceal  himself  even  for  a  week  in  a  hotel  or 
lodging-house ;  he  knows  these  are  too  sharply  watched 
by  the  police.  He  had  plenty  of  time  before  him,  and 
so  arranged  to  hire  apartments  in  some  convenient 
house." 

"  He  came  to  Paris  three  or  four  times  some  weeks 
ago." 

"  Then  there's  no  longer  any  doubt  about  it.  He 
hired  some  apartments  under  a  false  name,  paid  in  ad- 
vance, and  to-day  he  is  comfortably  ensconced  in  his 
new  residence." 

M.  Plantat  seemed  to  feel  extremely  distressed  at 
this. 

"  I  know  it  only  too  well,  Monsieur  Lecoq,"  said  he, 
sadly.  "  You  must  be  right.  But  is  not  the  wretch  thus 
securely  hidden  from  us  ?  Must  we  wait  till  some  acci- 
dent reveals  him  to  us  ?  Can  you  search  one  by  one  all 
the  houses  in  Paris  ?  " 

The  detective's  nose  wriggled  under  his  gold  spec- 
tacles, and  the  justice  of  the  peace,  who  observed  it,  and 
took  it  for  a  good  sign,  felt  all  his  hopes  reviving  in 
him. 

"  I've  cudgelled  my  brain  in  vain — "  he  began. 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  M.  Lecoq.  "  Having 
hired  apartments,  Tremorel  naturally  set  about  fur- 
nishing them." 

"  Evidently." 

"  Of  course  he  would  furnish  them  sumptuously, 
both  because  he  is  fond  of  luxury  and  has  plenty  of 
money,  and  because  he  couldn't  carry  a  young  girl 
from  a  luxurious  home  to  a  garret.  I'd  wager  that 
they  have  as  fine  a  drawing-room  as  that  at  Valfeuillu." 


322        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Alas !    How  can  that  help  us  ?  " 

"  Peste !  It  helps  us  much,  my  "dear  friend,  as  you 
shall  see.  Hector,  as  he  wished  for  a  good  deal  of  ex- 
pensive furniture,  did  not  have  recourse  to  a  broker; 
nor  had  he  time  to  go  to  the  Faubourg  St.  Antoine. 
Therefore,  he  simply  went  to  an  upholsterer." 

"  Some  fashionable  upholsterer " 

"  No,  he  would  have  risked  being  recognized.  It  is 
clear  that  he  assumed  a  false  name,  the  same  in  which 
he  had  hired  his  rooms.  He  chose  some  shrewd  and 
humble  upholsterer,  ordered  his  goods,  made  sure  that 
they  would  be  delivered  on  a  certain  day,  and  paid  for 
them." 

M.  Plantat  could  not  repress  a  joyful  exclamation; 
he  began  to  see  M.  Lecoq's  drift. 

"  This  merchant,"  pursued  the  latter,  "  must  have 
retained  his  rich  customer  in  his  memory,  this  cus- 
tomer who  did  not  beat  him  down,  and  paid  cash.  If 
he  saw  him  again,  he  would  recognize  him." 

"What  an  idea!"  cried  M.  Plantat,  delighted. 
"  Let's  get  photographs  and  portraits  of  Tremorel  as 
quick  as  we  can — let's  send  a  man  to  Orcival  for  them." 

M.  Lecoq  smiled  shrewdly  and  proceeded: 

"  Keep  yourself  easy ;  I  have  done  what  was  neces- 
sary. I  slipped  three  of  the  count's  cartes-de-visite  in 
my  pocket  yesterday  during  the  inquest.  This  morning 
I  took  down,  out  of  the  directory,  the  names  of  all  the 
upholsterers  in  Paris,  and  made  three  lists  of  them. 
At  this  moment  three  of  my  men,  each  with  a  list  and  a 
photograph,  are  going  from  upholsterer  to  upholsterer 
showing  them  the  picture  and  asking  them  if  they 
recognize  it  as  the  portrait  of  one  of  their  customers. 
If  one  of  them  answers  '  yes/  we've  got  our  man." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        323 

"  And  we  will  get  him ! "  cried  the  old  man,  pale  with 
emotion. 

"  Not  yet ;  don't  shout  victory  too  soon.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  Hector  was  prudent  enough  not  to  go  to  the 
upholsterer's  himself.  In  this  case  we  are  beaten  in 
that  direction.  But  no,  he  was  not  so  sly  as  that " 

M.  Lecoq  checked  himself.  Janouille,  for  the  third 
time,  opened  the  door,  and  said,  in  a  deep  bass  voice : 

"  Breakfast  is  ready." 

Janouille  was  a  remarkable  cook;  M.  Plantat  had 
ample  experience  of  the  fact  when  he  began  upon  her 
dishes.  But  he  was  not  hungry,  and  could  not  force 
himself  to  eat;  he  could  not  think  of  anything  but  a 
plan  which  he  had  to  propose  to  his  host,  and  he  had 
that  oppressive  feeling  which  is  experienced  when  one 
is  about  to  do  something  which  has  been  decided  on 
with  hesitation  and  regret.  The  detective,  who,  like 
all  men  of  great  activity,  was  a  great  eater,  vainly  es- 
sayed to  entertain  his  guest,  and  filled  his  glass  with 
the  choicest  Chateau  Margaux ;  the  old  man  sat  silent 
and  sad,  and  only  responded  by  monosyllables.  He 
tried  to  speak  out  and  to  struggle  against  the  hesitation 
he  felt.  He  did  not  think,  when  he  came,  that  he 
should  have  this  reluctance ;  he  had  said  to  himself  that 
he  would  go  in  and  explain  himself.  Did  he  fear  to  be 
ridiculed?  No.  His  passion  was  above  the  fear  of 
sarcasm  or  irony.  And  what  did  he  risk?  Nothing. 
Had  not  M.  Lecoq  already  divined  the  secret  thoughts 
he  dared  not  impart  to  him,  and  read  his  heart  from 
the  first?  He  was  reflecting  thus  when  the  door-bell 
rang.  Janouille  went  to  the  door,  and  speedily  re- 
turned with  the  announcement  that  Goulard  begged  to 
speak  with  M.  Lecoq,  and  asked  if  she  should  admit 
him. 


324        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVALJ 

"  Certainly." 

The  chains  clanked  and  the  locks  scraped,  and  pres- 
ently Goulard  made  his  appearance.  He  had  donned  his 
best  clothes,  with  spotless  linen,  and  a  very  high  col- 
lar. He  was  respectful,  and  stood  as  stiffly  as  a  well- 
drilled  grenadier  before  his  sergeant. 

"  What  the  deuce  brought  you  here  ?  "  said  M. 
Lecoq,  sternly.  "  And  who  dared  to  give  you  my  ad- 
dress?" 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Goulard,  visibly  intimidated  by 
his  reception,  "  please  excuse  me ;  I  was  sent  by  Doctor 
Gendron  with  this  letter  for  Monsieur  Plantat." 

"  Oh,"  cried  M.  Plantat,  "  I  asked  the  doctor,  last 
evening,  to  let  me  know  the  result  of  the  autopsy,  and 
not  knowing  where  I  should  put  up,  took  the  liberty  of 
giving  your  address." 

M.  Lecoq  took  the  letter  and  handed  it  to  his  guest. 

"  Read  it,  read  it,"  said  the  latter.  "  There  is  noth- 
ing in  it  to  conceal." 

"  All  right ;  but  come  into  the  other  room.  Janouille, 
give  this  man  some  breakfast.  Make  yourself  at  home, 
Goulard,  and  empty  a  bottle  to  my  health." 

When  the  door  of  the  other  room  was  closed,  M. 
Lecoq  broke  the  seal  of  the  letter,  and  read : 

"  MY  DEAR  PLANTAT  : 

"  You  asked  me  for  a  word,  so  I  scratch  off  a  line  or 
two  which  I  shall  send  to  our  sorcerer's " 

"  Oh,  ho,"  cried  M.  Lecoq.  "  Monsieur  Gendron  is 
too  good,  too  flattering,  really !  " 

No  matter,  the  compliment  touched  his  heart.  He 
resumed  the  letter: 

"  At  three  this  morning  we  exhumed  poor  Sau- 
vresy's  body.  I  certainly  deplore  the  frightful  circum- 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        325 

stances  of  this  worthy  man's  death  as  much  as  any- 
one; but  on  the  other  hand,  I  cannot  help  rejoicing  at 
this  excellent  opportunity  to  test  the  efficacy  of  my 
sensitive  paper " 

"  Confound  these  men  of  science,"  cried  the  indig- 
nant Plantat.  "  They  are  all  alike !  " 

"  Why  so  ?  I  can  very  well  comprehend  the  doctor's 
involuntary  sensations.  Am  I  not  ravished  when  I 
encounter  a  fine  crime  ?  " 

And  without  waiting  for  his  guest's  reply,  he  con- 
tinued reading  the  letter: 

"  The  experiments  promised  to  be  all  the  more  con- 
clusive as  aconitine  is  one  of  those  drugs  which  con- 
ceal themselves  most  obstinately  from  analysis.  I  pro- 
ceed thus:  After  heating  the  suspected  substances  in 
twice  their  weight  of  alcohol,  I  drop  the  liquid  gently 
into  a  vase  with  edges  a  little  elevated,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  is  a  piece  of  paper  on  which  I  have  placed 
my  tests.  If  my  paper  retains  its  color,  there  is  no 
poison ;  if  it  changes,  the  poison  is  there.  In  this  case 
my  paper  was  of  a  light  yellow  color,  and  if  we  were 
not  mistaken,  it  ought  either  to  become  covered  with 
brown  spots,  or  completely  brown.  I  explained  this 
experiment  beforehand  to  the  judge  of  instruction  and 
the  experts  who  were  assisting  me.  Ah,  my  friend, 
what  a  success  I  had !  When  the  first  drops  of  alcohol 
fell,  the  paper  at  once  became  a  dark  brown ;  your  sus- 
picions are  thus  proved  to  be  quite  correct.  The  sub- 
stances which  I  submitted  to  the  test  were  liberally  sat- 
urated with  aconitine.  I  never  obtained  more  decisive 
results  in  my  laboratory.  I  expect  that  my  conclusions 
will  be  disputed  in  court ;  but  I  have  means  of  verify- 
ing them,  so  that  I  shall  surely  confound  all  the 
chemists  who  oppose  me.  I  think,  my  dear  friend, 


326        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

that  you  will  not  be  indifferent  to  the  satisfaction  I 
feel " 

M.  Plantat  lost  patience. 

"This  is  unheard-of!"  cried  he.  "Incredible! 
Would  you  say,  now,  that  this  poison  which  he  found 
in  Sauvresy's  body  was  stolen  from  his  own  labora- 
tory? Why,  that  body  is  nothing  more  to  him  than 
'  suspected  matter ! '  And  he  already  imagines  himself 
discussing  the  merits  of  his  sensitive  paper  in  court !  " 

"  He  has  reason  to  look  for  antagonists  in  court." 

"  And  meanwhile  he  makes  his  experiments,  and 
analyzes  with  the  coolest  blood  in  the  world;  he  con- 
tinues his  abominable  cooking,  boiling  and  filtering, 
and  preparing  his  arguments !  " 

M.  Lecoq  did  not  share  in  his  friend's  indignation; 
he  was  not  sorry  at  the  prospect  of  a  bitter  struggle  in 
court,  and  he  imagined  a  great  scientific  duel,  like  that 
between  Orfila  and  Raspail,  the  provincial  and  Pari- 
sian chemists. 

"  If  Tremorel  has  the  face  to  deny  his  part  in  Sau- 
vresy's murder,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  have  a  superb  trial 
of  it." 

This  word  "  trial "  put  an  end  to  M.  Plantat's  long 
hesitation. 

"  We  mustn't  have  any  trial,"  cried  he. 

The  old  man's  violence,  from  one  who  was  usually 
so  calm  and  self-possessed,  seemed  to  amaze  M.  Lecoq. 

"  Ah  ha,"  thought  he,  "  I'm  going  to  know  all."  He 
added  aloud : 

"What,  no  trial?" 

M.  Plantat  had  turned  whiter  than  a  sheet;  he  was 
trembling,  and  his  voice  was  hoarse,  as  if  broken  by 
sobs. 

"  I  would  give  my  fortune,"  resumed  he,  "  to  avoid 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL       327 

a  trial — every  centime  of  it,  though  it  doesn't  amount 
to  much.  But  how  can  we  secure  this  wretch  Tremorel 
from  a  conviction?  What  subterfuge  shall  we  invent? 
You  alone,  my  friend,  can  advise  me  in  the  frightful 
extremity  to  which  you  see  me  reduced,  and  aid  me  to 
accomplish  what  I  wish.  If  there  is  any  way  in  the 
world,  you  will  find  it  and  save  me " 

"  But,  my " 

"  Pardon — hear  rrte,  and  you  will  comprehend  me. 
I  am  going  to  be  frank  with  you,  as  I  would  be  with 
myself;  and  you  will  see  the  reason  of  my  hesitation, 
my  silence,  in  short,  of  all  my  conduct  since  the  dis- 
covery of  the  crime." 

"  I  am  listening." 

"  It's  a  sad  history,  Lecoq.  I  had  reached  an  age  at 
which  a  man's  career  is,  as  they  say,  finished,  when  I 
suddenly  lost  my  wife  and  my  two  sons,  my  whole  joy, 
my  whole  hope  in  this  world.  I  found  myself  alone  in 
life,  more  lost  than  the  shipwrecked  man  in  the  midst 
of  the  sea,  without  a  plank  to  sustain  me.  I  was  a  soul- 
less body,  when  chance  brought  me  to  settle  down  at 
Orcival.  There  I  saw  Laurence;  she  was  just  fifteen, 
and  never  lived  there  a  creature  who  united  in  herself 
so  much  intelligence,  grace,  innocence,  and  beauty. 
Courtois  became  my  friend,  and  soon  Laurence  was 
like  a  daughter  to  me.  I  doubtless  loved  her  then,  but 
I  did  not  confess  it  to  myself,  for  I  did  not  read  my 
heart  clearly.  She  was  so  young,  and  I  had  gray  hairs ! 
I  persuaded  myself  that  my  love  for  her  was  like  that 
of  a  father,  and  it  was  as  a  father  that  she  cherished 
me.  Ah,  I  passed  many  a  delicious  hour  listening  to 
her  gentle  prattle  and  her  innocent  confidences ;  I  was 
happy  when  I  saw  her  skipping  about  in  my  garden, 
picking  the  roses  I  had  reared  for  her,  and  laying  waste 


328        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

my  parterres ;  and  I  said  to  myself  that  existence  is  a 
precious  gift  from  God.  My  dream  then  was  to  follow 
her  through  life.  I  fancied  her  wedded  to  some  good 
man  who  made  her  happy,  while  I  remained  the  friend 
of  the  wife,  after  having  been  the  confidant  of  the 
maiden.  I  took  good  care  of  my  fortune,  which  is  con- 
siderable, because  I  thought  of  her  children,  and 
wished  to  hoard  up  treasures  for  them.  Poor,  poor 
Laurence ! "  ' 

M.  Lecoq  fidgeted  in  his  chair,  rubbed  his  face  with 
his  handkerchief,  and  seemed  ill  at  ease.  He  was  really 
much  more  touched  than  he  wished  to  appear. 

"  One  day,"  pursued  the  old  man,  "  my  friend  Cour- 
tois  spoke  to  me  of  her  marriage  with  Tremorel ;  then 
I  measured  the  depth  of  my  love.  I  felt  terrible 
agonies  which  it  is  impossible  to  describe ;  it  was  like  a 
long-smothered  fire  which  suddenly  breaks  forth  and 
devours  everything.  To  be  old,  and  to  love  a  child !  I 
thought  I  was  going  crazy;  I  tried  to  reason,  to  up- 
braid myself,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  What  can  reason 
or  irony  do  against  passion?  I  kept  silent  and  suf- 
fered. To  crown  all,  Laurence  selected  me  as  her  con- 
fidant— what  torture !  She  came  to  me  to  talk  of  Hec- 
tor ;  she  admired  in  him  all  that  seemed  to  her  superior 
to  other  men,  so  that  none  could  be  compared  with 
him.  She  was  enchanted  with  his  bold  horseback  rid- 
ing, and  thought  everything  he  said  sublime." 

"  Did  you  know  what  a  wretch  Tremorel  was  ?  " 

"  Alas,  I  did  not  yet  know  it.  What  was  this  man 
who  lived  at  Valfeuillu  to  me?  But  from  the  day  that 
I  learned  that  he  was  going  to  deprive  me  of  my  most 
precious  treasure,  I  began  to  study  him.  I  should  have 
been  somewhat  consoled  if  I  had  found  him  worthy  of 
her ;  so  I  dogged  him,  as  you,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  cling  to 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        329 

the  criminal  whom  you  are  pursuing.  I  went  often  to 
Paris  to  learn  what  I  could  of  his  past  life ;  I  became 
a  detective,  and  went  about  questioning  everybody  who 
had  known  him,  and  the  more  I  heard  of  him  the  more 
I  despised  him.  It  was  thus  that  I  found  out  his  in- 
terviews with  Jenny  and  his  relations  with  Bertha." 

"  Why  didn't  you  divulge  them  ?  " 

"  Honor  commanded  silence.  Had  I  a  right  to  dis- 
honor my  friend  and  ruin  his  happiness  and  life,  be- 
cause of  this  ridiculous,  hopeless  love  ?  I  kept  my  own 
counsel  after  speaking  to  Courtois  about  Jenny,  at 
which  he  only  laughed.  When  I  hinted  something 
against  Hector  to  Laurence,  she  almost  ceased  coming 
to  see  me." 

"  Ah !  I  shouldn't  have  had  either  your  patience  or 
your  generosity." 

"  Because  you  are  not  as  old  as  I,  Monsieur  Lecoq. 
Oh,  I  cruelly  hated  this  Tremorel !  I  said  to  myself, 
when  I  saw  three  women  of  such  different  characters 
smitten  with  him,  '  what  is  there  in  him  to  be  so 
loved?'" 

"  Yes,"  answered  M.  Lecoq,  responding  to  a  secret 
thought,  "  women  often  err;  they  don't  judge  men  as 
we  do." 

"  Many  a  time,"  resumed  the  justice  of  the  peace, 
"  I  thought  of  provoking  him  to  fight  with  me,  that  I 
might  kill  him;  but  then  Laurence  would  not  have 
looked  at  me  any  more.  However,  I  should  perhaps 
have  spoken  at  last,  had  not  Sauvresy  fallen  ill  and 
died.  I  knew  that  he  had  made  his  wife  and  Tremorel 
swear  to  marry  each  other ;  I  knew  that  a  terrible  rea- 
son forced  them  to  keep  their  oath ;  and  I  thought  Lau- 
rence saved.  Alas,  on  the  contrary  she  was  lost !  One 
evening,  as  I  was  passing  the  mayor's  house,  I  saw  a 


33° 

man  getting  over  the  wall  into  the  garden ;  it  was  Trem- 
orel.  I  recognized  him  perfectly.  I  was  beside  my- 
self with  rage,  and  swore  that  I  would  wait  and  mur- 
der him.  I  did  wait,  but  he  did  not  come  out  that 
night." 

M.  Plantat  hid  his  face  in  his  hands;  his  heart  bled 
at  the  recollection  of  that  night  of  anguish,  the  whole 
of  which  he  had  passed  in  waiting  for  a  man  in  order 
to  kill  him.  M.  Lecoq  trembled  with  indignation. 

"  This  Tremorel,"  cried  he,  "  is  the  most  abominable 
of  scoundrels.  There  is  no  excuse  for  his  infamies  and 
crimes.  And  yet  you  want  to  save  him  from  trial,  the 
galleys,  the  scaffold  which  await  him." 

The  old  man  paused  a  moment  before  replying.  Of 
the  thoughts  which  now  crowded  tumultuously  in  his 
mind,  he  did  not  know  which  to  utter  first.  Words 
seemed  powerless  to  betray  his  sensations;  he  wanted 
to  express  all  that  he  felt  in  a  single  sentence. 

"  What  matters  Tremorel  to  me  ?  "  said  he  at  last. 
"  Do  you  think  I  care  about  him  ?  I  don't  care  whether 
he  lives  or  dies,  whether  he  succeeds  in  flying  or  ends 
his  life  some  morning  in  the  Place  Roquette." 

"  Then  why  have  you  such  a  horror  of  a  trial  ?  " 

"  Because " 

"  Are  you  a  friend  to  his  family,  and  anxious  to  pre- 
serve the  great  name  which  he  has  covered  with  mud 
and  devoted  to  infamy  ?  " 

"  No,  but  I  am  anxious  for  Laurence,  my  friend ;  the 
thought  of  her  never  leaves  me." 

"  But  she  is  not  his  accomplice;  she  is  totally  igno- 
rant— there's  no  doubt  of  it — that  he  has  killed  his 
wife." 

"  Yes,"  resumed  M.  Plantat,  "  Laurence  is  inno- 
cent ;  she  is  only  the  victim  of  an  odious  villain.  It  is 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        331 

none  the  less  true,  though,  that  she  would  be  more 
cruelly  punished  than  he.  If  Tremorel  is  brought  be- 
fore the  court,  she  will  have  to  appear  too,  as  a  witness, 
if  not  as  a  prisoner.  And  who  knows  that  her  truth  will 
not  be  suspected  ?  She  will  be  asked  whether  she  really 
had  no  knowledge  of  the  project  to  murder  Bertha,  and 
whether  she  did  not  encourage  it.  Bertha  was  her 
rival ;  it  were  natural  to  suppose  that  she  hated  her.  If 
I  were  the  judge  I  should  not  hesitate  to  include  Lau- 
rence in  the  indictment." 

"  With  our  aid  she  will  prove  victoriously  that  she 
was  ignorant  of  all,  and  has  been  outrageously  de- 
ceived." 

"  May  be ;  but  will  she  be  any  the  less  dishonored  and 
forever  lost  ?  Must  she  not,  in  that  case,  appear  in  pub- 
lic, answer  the  judge's  questions,  and  narrate  the  story 
of  her  shame  and  misfortunes?  Must  not  she  say 
where,  when,  and  how  she  fell,  and  repeat  the  villain's 
words  to  her  ?  Can  you  imagine  that  of  her  own  free 
will  she  compelled  herself  to  announce  her  suicide  at 
the  risk  of  killing  her  parents  with  grief?  No.  Then 
she  must  explain  what  menaces  forced  her  to  do  this, 
which  surely  was  not  her  own  idea.  And  worse  than 
all,  she  will  be  compelled  to  confess  her  love  for  Trem- 
orel." 

"  No,"  answered  the  detective.  "  Let  us  not  exag- 
gerate anything.  You  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  justice 
is  most  considerate  with  the  innocent  victims  of  affairs 
of  this  sort." 

"Consideration?  Eh!  Could  justice  protect  her, 
even  if  it  would,  from  the  publicity  in  which  trials  are 
conducted  ?  You  might  touch  the  magistrates'  hearts ; 
but  there  are  fifty  journalists  who,  since  this  crime, 
have  been  cutting  their  pens  and  getting  their  paper 


332        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

ready.  Do  you  think  that,  to  please  us,  they  would 
suppress  the  scandalous  proceedings  which  I  am 
anxious  to  avoid,  and  which  the  noble  name  of  the  mur- 
derer would  make  a  great  sensation?  Does  not  this 
case  unite  every  feature  which  gives  success  to  judicial 
dramas?  Oh,  there's  nothing  wanting,  neither  un- 
worthy passion,  nor  poison,  nor  vengeance,  nor  mur- 
der. Laurence  represents  in  it  the  romantic  and  senti- 
mental element;  she — my  darling  girl — will  become  a 
heroine  of  the  assizes;  it  is  she  who  will  attract  the 
readers  of  the  Police  Gazette;  the  reporters  will  tell 
when  she  blushes  and  when  she  weeps ;  they  will  rival 
each  other  in  describing  her  toilet  and  bearing.  Then 
there  will  be  the  photographers  besieging  her,  and  if 
she  refuses  to  sit,  portraits  of  some  hussy  of  the  street 
will  be  sold  as  hers.  She  will  yearn  to  hide  herself — 
but  where  ?  Can  a  few  locks  and  bars  shelter  her  from 
eager  curiosity?  She  will  become  famous.  What 
shame  and  misery!  If  she  is  to  be  saved,  Monsieur 
Lecoq,  her  name  must  not  be  spoken.  I  ask  of  you,  is  it 
possible  ?  Answer  me." 

The  old  man  was  very  violent,  yet  his  speech  was 
simple,  devoid  of  the  pompous  phrases  of  passion. 
Anger  lit  up  his  eyes  with  a  strange  fire;  he  seemed 
young  again — he  loved,  and  defended  his  beloved. 

M.  Lecoq  was  silent ;  his  companion  insisted. 

"  Answer  me." 

"Who  knows?" 

"  Why  seek  to  mislead  me  ?  Haven't  I  as  well  as  you 
had  experience  in  these  things?  If  Tremorel  is 
brought  to  trial,  all  is  over  with  Laurence.  And  I  love 
her!  Yes,  I  dare  to  confess  it  to  you,  and  let  you  see 
the  depth  of  my  grief,  I  love  her  now  as  I  have  never 
loved  her.  She  is  dishonored,  an  object  of  contempt, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL        333 

perhaps  still  adores  this  wretch — what  matters  it?  I 
love  her  a  thousand  times  more  than  before  her  fall,  for 
then  I  loved  her  without  hope,  while  now " 

He  stopped,  shocked  at  what  he  was  going  to  say. 
His  eyes  fell  before  M.  Lecoq's  steady  gaze,  and  he 
blushed  for  this  shameful  yet  human  hope  that  he  had 
betrayed. 

"  You  know  all,  now,"  resumed  he,  in  a  calmer  tone ; 
"  consent  to  aid  me,  won't  you  ?  Ah,  if  you  only  would, 
I  should  not  think  I  had  repaid  you  were  I  to  give  you 
half  my  fortune — and  I  am  rich " 

M.  Lecoq  stopped  him  with  a  haughty  gesture. 

"  Enough,  Monsieur  Plantat,"  said  he,  in  a  bitter 
tone,  "  I  can  do  a  service  to  a  person  whom  I  esteem, 
love  and  pity  with  all  my  soul ;  but  I  cannot  sell  such 
a  service." 

"  Believe  that  I  did  not  wish " 

"  Yes,  yes,  you  wished  to  pay  me.  Oh,  don't  excuse 
yourself,  don't  deny  it.  There  are  professions,  I  know, 
in  which  manhood  and  integrity  seem  to  count  for 
nothing.  Why  offer  me  money?  What  reason  have 
you  for  judging  me  so  mean  as  to  sell  my  favors  ?  You 
are  like  the  rest,  who  can't  fancy  what  a  man  in  my 
position  is.  If  I  wanted  to  be  rich — richer  than  you — 
I  could  be  so  in  a  fortnight.  Don't  you  see  that  I  hold 
in  my  hands  the  honor  and  lives  of  fifty  people?  Do 
you  think  I  tell  all  I  know?  I  have  here,"  added  he, 
tapping  his  forehead,  "  twenty  secrets  that  I  could  sell 
to-morrow,  if  I  would,  for  a  plump  hundred  thousand 
apiece." 

He  was  indignant,  but  beneath  his  anger  a  certain 
sad  resignation  might  be  perceived.  He  had  often  to 
reject  such  offers. 

"  If  you  go  and  resist  this  prejudice  established  for 


334       THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

ages,  and  say  that  a  detective  is  honest  and  cannot  be 
otherwise,  that  he  is  tenfold  more  honest  than  any  mer- 
chant or  notary,  because  he  has  tenfold  the  temptations, 
without  the  benefits  of  his  honesty;  if  you  say  this, 
they'll  laugh  in  your  face.  I  could  get  together  to-mor- 
row, with  impunity,  without  any  risk,  at  least  a  million. 
Who  would  mistrust  it  ?  I  have  a  conscience,  it's  true ; 
but  a  little  consideration  for  these  things  would  not  be 
unpleasant.  When  it  would  be  so  easy  for  me  to 
divulge  what  I  know  of  those  who  have  been  obliged  to 
trust  me,  or  things  which  I  have  surprised,  there  is 
perhaps  a  merit  in  holding  my  tongue.  And  still,  the 
first  man  who  should  come  along  to-morrow — a  default- 
ing banker,  a  ruined  merchant,  a  notary  who  has  gam- 
bled on  'change — would  feel  himself  compromised  by 
walking  up  the  boulevard  with  me !  A  policeman — fie ! 
But  old  Tabaret  used  to  say  to  me,  that  the  contempt 
of  such  people  was  only  one  form  of  fear." 

M.  Plantat  was  dismayed.  How  could  he,  a  man  of 
delicacy,  prudence  and  finesse,  have  committed  such  an 
awkward  mistake?  He  had  just  cruelly  wounded  this 
man,  who  was  so  well  disposed  toward  him,  and  he 
had  everything  to  fear  from  his  resentment. 

"  Far  be  it  from  me,  dear  friend,"  he  commenced, 
"  to  intend  the  offence  you  imagine.  You  have  misun- 
derstood an  insignificant  phrase,  which  I  let  escape 
carelessly,  and  had  no  meaning  at  all." 

M.  Lecoq  grew  calmer. 

"  Perhaps  so.  You  will  forgive  my  being  so  sus- 
ceptible, as  I  am  more  exposed  to  insults  than  most 
people.  Let's  leave  the  subject,  which  is  a  painful  one, 
and  return  to  Tremorel." 

M.  Plantat  was  just  thinking  whether  he  should  dare 
to  broach  his  projects  again,  and  he  was  singularly 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        335 

touched  by  M.  Lecoq's  delicately  resuming  the  subject 
of  them. 

"  I  have  only  to  await  your  decision,"  said  the  jus- 
tice of  the  peace. 

"  I  will  not  conceal  from  you,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq, 
"  that  you  are  asking  a  very  difficult  thing,  and  one 
which  is  contrary  to  my  duty,  which  commands  me  to 
search  for  Tremorel,  to  arrest  him,  and  deliver  him  up 
to  justice.  You  ask  me  to  protect  him  from  the 
law " 

"  In  the  name  of  an  innocent  creature  whom  you  will 
thereby  save." 

"  Once  in  my  life  I  sacrificed  my  duty.  I  could  not 
resist  the  tears  of  a  poor  old  mother,  who  clung  to  my 
knees  and  implored  pardon  for  her  son.  To-day  I  am 
going  to  exceed  my  right,  and  to  risk  an  attempt  for 
which  my  conscience  will  perhaps  reproach  me.  I 
yield  to  your  entreaty." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Lecoq,  how  grateful  I  am !  "  cried  M. 
Plantat,  transported  with  joy. 

But  the  detective  remained  grave,  almost  sad,  and 
reflected. 

"  Don't  let  us  encourage  a  hope  which  may  be  dis- 
appointed," he  resumed.  "  I  have  but  one  means  of 
keeping  a  criminal  like  Tremorel  out  of  the  courts ;  will 
it  succeed  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes.     If  you  wish  it,  it  will !  " 

M.  Lecoq  could  not  help  smiling  at  the  old  man's 
faith. 

"  I  am  certainly  a  clever  detective,"  said  he.  "  But  I 
am  only  a  man  after  all,  and  I  can't  answer  for  the 
actions  of  another  man.  All  depends  upon  Hector.  If 
it  were  another  criminal,  I  should  say  I  was  sure.  I  am 
doubtful  about  him,  I  frankly  confess.  We  ought, 


336        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

above  all,  to  count  upon  the  firmness  of  Mademoiselle 
Courtois ;  can  we,  think  you  ?  " 

"  She  is  firmness  itself." 

"  Then  there's  hope.  But  can  we  really  suppress  this 
affair?  What  will  happen  when  Sauvresy's  narrative 
is  found?  It  must  be  concealed  somewhere  in  Val- 
feuillu,  and  Tremorel,  at  least,  did  not  find  it." 

"  It  will  not  be  found,"  said  M.  Plantat,  quickly. 

"You  think  so?" 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

M.  Lecoq  gazed  intently  at  his  companion,  and  sim- 
ply said : 

"  Ah !  " 

But  this  is  what  he  thought :  "  At  last  I  am  going  to 
find  out  where  the  manuscript  which  we  heard  read  the 
other  night,  and  which  is  in  two  handwritings,  came 
from." 

After  a  moment's  hesitation,  M.  Plantat  went  on : 

"  I  have  put  my  life  in  your  hands,  Monsieur  Lecoq ; 
I  can,  of  course,  confide  my  honor  to  you.  I  know  you. 
I  know  that,  happen  what  may " 

"  I  shall  keep  my  mouth  shut,  on  my  honor." 

"  Very  well.  The  day  that  I  caught  Tremorel  at  the 
mayor's,  I  wished  to  verify  the  suspicions  I  had,  and 
so  I  broke  the  seal  of  Sauvresy's  package  of  papers." 

"  And  you  did  not  use  them  ?  " 

"  I  was  dismayed  at  my  abuse  of  confidence.  Be- 
sides, had  I  the  right  to  deprive  poor  Sauvresy,  who 
was  dying  in  order  to  avenge  himself,  of  his  ven- 
geance ?  " 

"  But  you  gave  the  papers  to  Madame  de  Trem- 
orel?" 

"  True ;  but  Bertha  had  a  vague  presentiment  of  the 
fate  that  was  in  store  for  her.  About  a  fortnight  before 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORC1VAL        337 

her  death  she  came  and  confided  to  me  her  husband's 
manuscript,  which  she  had  taken  care  to  complete.  I 
broke  the  seals  and  read  it,  to  see  if  he  had  died  a  violent 
death." 

"  Why,  then,  didn't  you  tell  me  ?  Why  did  you  let 
me  hunt,  hesitate,  grope  about " 

"  I  love  Laurence,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  and  to  deliver 
up  Tremorel  was  to  open  an  abyss  between  her  and 
me." 

The  detective  bowed.  "  The  deuce,"  thought  he, 
"  the  old  justice  is  shrewd — as  shrewd  as  I  am.  Well, 
I  like  him,  and  I'm  going  to  give  him  a  surprise." 

M.  Plantat  yearned  to  question  his  host  and  to  know 
what  the  sole  means  of  which  he  spoke  were,  which 
might  be  successful  in  preventing  a  trial  and  saving 
Laurence,  but  he  did  not  dare  to  do  so. 

The  detective  bent  over  his  desk  lost  in  thought.  He 
hvld  a  pencil  in  his  hand  and  mechanically  drew  fan- 
tastic figures  on  a  large  sheet  of  white  paper  which 
lay  before  him.  He  suddenly  came  out  of  his  revery. 
He  had  just  solved  a  last  difficulty ;  his  plan  was  now 
entire  and  complete.  He  glanced  at  the  clock. 

"  Two  o'clock,"  cried  he,  "  and  I  have  an  appoint- 
ment between  three  and  four  with  Madame  Charman 
about  Jenny." 

"  I  am  at  your  disposal,"  returned  his  guest. 

"  All  right.  When  Jenny  is  disposed  of  we  must 
look  after  Tremorel;  so  let's  take  our  measures  to 
finish  it  up  to-day." 

"  What !  do  you  hope  to  do  everything  to-day—- — " 

"  Certainly.  Rapidity  is  above  all  necessary  in  our 
profession.  It  often  takes  a  month  to  regain  an  hour 
lost.  We've  a  chance  now  of  catching  Hector  by  sur- 
prise; to-morrow  it  will  be  too  late.  Either  we  shall 


338        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

have  him  within  four-and-twenty  hours  or  we  must 
change  our  batteries.  Each  of  my  three  men  has  a  car- 
riage and  a  good  horse ;  they  may  be  able  to  finish  with 
the  upholsterers  within  an  hour  from  now.  If  I  calcu- 
late aright,  we  shall  have  the  address  in  an  hour,  or  at 
most  in  two  hours,  and  then  we  will  act." 

Lecoq,  as  he  spoke,  took  a  sheet  of  paper  surmounted 
by  his  arms  out  of  his  portfolio,  and  rapidly  wrote  sev- 
eral lines. 

"  See  here,"  said  he,  "  what  I've  written  to  one  of  my 
lieutenants." 

"  MONSIEUR  JOB — 

"  Get  together  six  or  eight  of  our  men  at  once  and 
take  them  to  the  wine  merchant's  at  the  corner  of  the 
Rue  des  Martyrs  and  the  Rue  Lamartine;  await  my 
orders  there." 

"  Why  there  and  not  here?  " 

"  Because  we  must  avoid  needless  excursions.  At 
the  place  I  have  designated  we  are  only  two  steps  from 
Madame  Charman's  and  near  Tremorel's  retreat;  for 
the  wretch  has  hired  his  rooms  in  the  quarter  of  Notre 
Dame  de  Lorette." 

M.  Plantat  gave  an  exclamation  of  surprise. 

"  What  makes  you  think  that  ?  " 

The  detective  smiled,  as  if  the  question  seemed 
foolish  to  him. 

"  Don't  you  recollect  that  the  envelope  of  the  letter 
addressed  by  Mademoiselle  Courtois  to  her  family  to 
announce  her  suicide  bore  the  Paris  postmark,  and  that 
of  the  branch  office  of  Rue  St.  Lazare  ?  Now  listen  to 
this :  On  leaving  her  aunt's  house,  Laurence  must  have 
gone  directly  to  Tremorel's  apartments,  the  address  of 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        339 

which  he  had  given  her,  and  where  he  had  promised 
to  meet  her  on  Thursday  morning.  She  wrote  the  let- 
ter, then,  in  his  apartments.  Can  we  admit  that  she  had 
the  presence  of  mind  to  post  the  letter  in  another  quar- 
ter than  that  in  which  she  was  ?  It  is  at  least  probable 
that  she  was  ignorant  of  the  terrible  reasons  which  Tre- 
morel  had  to  fear  a  search  and  pursuit.  Had  Hector 
foresight  enough  to  suggest  this  trick  to  her?  No, 
for  if  he  wasn't  a  fool  he  would  have  told  her  to  post  the 
letter  somewhere  outside  of  Paris.  It  is  therefore 
scarcely  possible  that  it  was  posted  anywhere  else  than 
at  the  nearest  branch  office." 

These  suppositions  were  so  simple  that  M.  Plantat 
wondered  he  had  not  thought  of  them  before.  But  men 
do  not  see  clearly  in  affairs  in  which  they  are  deeply  in- 
terested ;  passion  dims  the  eyes,  as  heat  in  a  room  dims 
a  pair  of  spectacles.  He  had  lost,  with  his  coolness,  a 
part  of  his  clearsightedness.  His  anxiety  was  very 
great ;  for  he  thought  M.  Lecoq  had  a  singular  mode  of 
keeping  his  promise. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  could  not  help  remarking,  "  that 
if  you  wish  to  keep  Hector  from  trial,  the  men  you 
have  summoned  together  will  be  more  embarrassing 
than  useful." 

M.  Lecoq  thought  that  his  guest's  tone  and  look  be- 
trayed a  certain  doubt,  and  was  irritated  by  it. 

"  Do  you  distrust  me,  Monsieur  Plantat  ?  " 

The  old  man  tried  to  protest. 

"  Believe  me " 

"  You  have  my  word,"  resumed  M.  Lecoq,  "  and  if 
you  knew  me  better  you  would  know  that  I  always  keep 
it  when  I  have  given  it.  I  have  told  you  that  I  would  do 
my  best  to  save  Mademoiselle  Laurence ;  but  remember 
that  I  have  promised  you  my  assistance,  not  absolute 


340        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

success.  Let  me,  then,  take  such  measures  as  I  think 
best." 

So  saying,  he  rang  for  Janouille. 

"  Here's  a  letter,"  said  he  when  she  appeared, 
"  which  must  be  sent  to  Job  at  once." 

"  I  will  carry  it." 

"  By  no  means.  You  will  be  pleased  to  remain  here 
and  wait  for  the  men  that  I  sent  out  this  morning.  As 
they  come  in,  send  them  to  the  wine  merchant's  at  the 
corner  of  the  Rue  des  Martyrs ;  you  know  it — opposite 
the  church.  They'll  find  a  numerous  company  there." 

As  he  gave  his  orders,  he  took  off  his  gown,  assumed 
a  long  black  coat,  and  carefully  adjusted  his  wig. 

"Will  Monsieur  be  back  this  evening?"  asked 
Janouille. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  And  if  anybody  comes  from  over  yonder?  " 

"  Over  yonder  "  with  a  detective,  always  means  "  the 
house  " — otherwise  the  prefecture  of  police. 

"  Say  that  I  am  out  on  the  Corbeil  affaii." 

M.  Lecoq  was  soon  ready.  He  had  the  air,  physiog- 
nomy, and  manners  of  a  highly  respectable  chief  clerk 
of  fifty.  Gold  spectacles,  an  umbrella,  everything  about 
him  exhaled  an  odor  of  the  ledger. 

"  Now,"  said  he  to  M.  Plantat.    "  Let's  hurry  away." 

Goulard,  who  had  made  a  hearty  breakfast,  was  wait- 
ing for  his  hero  in  the  dining-room. 

"  Ah  ha,  old  fellow,"  said  M.  Lecoq.  "  So  you've 
had  a  few  words  with  my  wine.  How  do  you  find  it  ?  " 

"  Delicious,  my  chief ;  perfect — that  is  to  say,  a  true 
nectar." 

"  It's  cheered  you  up,  I  hope." 

"  Oh,  yes,  my  chief." 

"  Then  you  may  follow  us  a  few  steps  and  mount 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        341 

guard  at  the  door  of  the  house  where  you  see  us  go  in. 
I  shall  probably  have  to  confide  a  pretty  little  girl  to 
your  care  whom  you  will  carry  to  Monsieur  Domini. 
And  open  your  eyes ;  for  she's  a  sly  creature,  and  very 
apt  to  inveigle  you  on  the  way  and  slip  through  your 
fingers." 

They  went  out,  and  Janouille  stoutly  barricaded  her- 
self behind  them. 


XXV 

Whosoever  needs  a  loan  of  money,  or  a  complete  suit 
of  clothes  in  the  top  of  the  fashion,  a  pair  of  ladies' 
boots,  or  an  Indian  cashmere,  a  porcelain  table  service 
or  a  good  picture;  whosoever  desires  diamonds,  cur- 
tains, laces,  a  house  in  the  country,  or  a  provision  of 
wood  for  winter  fires — may  procure  all  these,  and  many 
other  things  besides,  at  Mme.  Charman's. 

Mme.  Charman  lives  at  136,  Rue  Notre  Dame  de 
Lorette,  on  the  first  story  above  the  ground-floor.  Her 
customers  must  give  madame  some  guarantee  of  their 
credit;  a  woman,  if  she  be  young  and  pretty,  may  be 
accommodated  at  madame's  at  the  reasonable  rate  of 
two  hundred  per  cent,  interest.  Madame  has,  at  these 
rates,  considerable  custom,  and  yet  has  not  made  a 
large  fortune.  She  must  necessarily  risk  a  great  deal, 
and  bears  heavy  losses  as  well  as  receives  large  profits. 
Then  she  is,  as  she  is  pleased  to  say,  too  honest;  and 
true  enough,  she  is  honest — she  would  rather  sell  her 
dress  off  her  back  than  let  her  signature  go  to  protest. 

Madame  is  a  blonde,  slight,  gentle,  and  not  wanting 
in  a  certain  distinction  of  manner ;  she  invariably  wears, 
whether  it  be  summer  or  winter,  a  black  silk  dress. 
They  say  she  has  a  husband,  but  no  one  has  ever  seen 


342        THE    MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

him,  which  does  not  prevent  his  reputation  for  good 
conduct  from  being  above  suspicion.  However,  honor- 
able as  may  be  Mme.  Charman's  profession,  she  has 
more  than  once  had  business  with  M.  Lecoq;  she  has 
need  of  him,  and  fears  him  as  she  does  fire.  She,  there- 
fore, welcomed  the  detective  and  his  companion — 
whom  she  took  for  one  of  his  colleagues— rsomewhat  as 
the  supernumerary  of  a  theatre  would  greet  his  man- 
ager if  the  latter  chanced  to  pay  him  a  visit  in  his  hum- 
ble lodgings. 

She  was  expecting  them.  When  they  rang,  she  ad- 
vanced to  meet  them  in  the  ante-chamber,  and  greeted 
M.  Lecoq  graciously  and  smilingly.  She  conducted 
them  into  her-  drawing-room,  invited  them  to  sit  in  her 
best  arm-chairs,  and  pressed  some  refreshments  upon 
them. 

"  I  see,  dear  Madame,"  began  M.  Lecoq,  "  that  you 
have  received  my  little  note." 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  early  this  morning ;  I  was 
not  up." 

"  Very  good.  And  have  you  been  so  kind  as  to  do  the 
service  I  asked  ?  " 

"  How  can  you  ask  me,  when  you  know  that  I  would 
go  through  the  fire  for  you  ?  I  set  about  it  at  once,  get- 
ting up  expressly  for  the  purpose." 

"  Then  you've  got  the  address  of  Pelagic  Taponnet, 
called  Jenny  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  have,"  returned  Mme.  Charman,  with  an 
obsequious  bow.  "  If  I  were  the  kind  of  woman  to 
magnify  my  services,  I  would  tell  you  what  trouble  it 
cost  me  to  find  this  address,  and  how  I  ran  all  over  Paris 
and  spent  ten  francs  in  cab  hire." 

"  Well,  let's  come  to  the  point." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        343 

"  The  truth  is,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Miss 
Jenny  day  before  yesterday." 

"  You  are  joking !  " 

"  Not  the  least  in  the  world.  And  let  me  tell  you  that 
she  is  a  very  courageous  and  honest  girl." 

"  Really ! " 

"  She  is,  indeed.  Why,  she  has  owed  me  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  francs  for  two  years.  I  hardly  thought 
the  debt  worth  much,  as  you  may  imagine.  But  Jenny 
came  to  me  day  before  yesterday  all  out  of  breath  and 
told  me  that  she  had  inherited  some  money,  and  had 
brought  me  what  she  owed  me.  And  she  was  not  jok- 
ing, either;  for  her  purse  was  full  of  bank  notes,  and 
she  paid  me  the  whole  of  my  bill.  She's  a  good  girl !  " 
added  Mme.  Charman,  as  if  profoundly  convinced  of 
the  truth  of  her  encomium. 

M.  Lecoq  exchanged  a  significant  glance  with  the 
old  justice ;  the  same  idea  struck  them  both  at  the  same 
moment.  These  bank-notes  could  only  be  the  payment 
for  some  important  service  rendered  by  Jenny  to  Trem- 
orel.  M.  Lecoq,  however,  wished  for  more  precise  in- 
formation. 

"  What  was  Jenny's  condition  before  this  windfall  ?  " 
asked  he. 

"  Ah,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  she  was  in  a  dreadful  condi- 
tion. Since  the  count  deserted  her  she  has  been  con- 
stantly falling  lower  and  lower.  She  sold  all  she  had 
piece  by  piece.  At  last,  she  mixed  with  the  worst  kind 
of  people,  drank  absinthe,  they  say,  and  had  nothing  to 
put  to  her  back.  When  she  got  any  money  she  spent  it 
on  a  parcel  of  hussies  instead  of  buying  clothes." 

"  And  where  is  she  living?  " 

"  Right  by,  in  a  house  in  the  Rue  Vintimille." 


344        THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

"  If  that  is  so,"  replied  M.  Lecoq,  severely,  "  I  am 
astonished  that  she  is  not  here." 

"  It's  not  my  fault,  dear  Monsieur  Lecoq ;  I  know 
where  the  nest  is,  but  not  where  the  bird  is.  She  was 
away  this  morning  when  I  sent  for  her." 

"  The  deuce !  But  then — it's  very  annoying ;  I  must 
hunt  her  up  at  once." 

"  You  needn't  disturb  yourself.  Jenny  ought  to  re- 
turn before  four  o'clock,  and  one  of  my  girls  is  wait- 
ing for  her  with  orders  to  bring  her  here  as  soon  as  she 
comes  in,  without  even  letting  her  go  up  to  her  room." 

"  We'll  wait  for  her  then." 

M.  Lecoq  and  his  friend  waited  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  Mme.  Charman  suddenly  got  up. 

"  I  hear  my  girl's  step  on  the  stairs,"  said  she. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  answered  M.  Lecoq,  "  if  it  is  she, 
manage  to  make  Jenny  think  that  it  was  you  who  sent 
for  her;  we  will  seem  to  have  come  in  by  the  merest 
chance." 

Mme.  Charman  responded  by  a  gesture  of  assent. 
She  was  going  towards  the  door  when  the  detective  de- 
tained her  by  the  arm. 

"  One  word  more.  When  you  see  me  fairly  engaged 
in  conversation  with  her,  please  be  so  good  as  to  go  and 
overlook  your  work-people  in  the  shops.  What  I  have 
to  say  will  not  interest  you  in  the  least." 

"  I  understand." 

"  But  no  trickery,  you  know.  I  know  where  the 
closet  of  your  bedroom  is,  well  enough  to  be  sure  that 
everything  that  is  said  here  may  be  overheard  in  it." 

Mme.  Charman's  emissary  opened  the  door;  there 
was  a  loud  rustling  of  silks  along  the  corridor;  and 
Jenny  appeared  in  all  her  glory.  She  was  no  longer  the 
fresh  and  pretty  minx  whom  Hector  had  known — 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        345 

the  provoking  large-eyed  Parisian  demoiselle,  with 
haughty  head  and  petulant  grace.  A  single  year  had 
withered  her,  as  a  too  hot  summer  does  the  roses,  and 
had  destroyed  her  fragile  beauty  beyond  recall.  She 
was  not  twenty,  and  still  it  was  hard  to  discern  that  she 
had  been  charming,  and  was  yet  young.  For  she  had 
grown  old  like  vice;  her  worn  features  and  hollow 
cheeks  betrayed  the  dissipations  of  her  life;  her  eyes 
had  lost  their  long,  languishing  lids ;  her  mouth  had  a 
pitiful  expression  of  stupefaction;  and  absinthe  had 
broken  the  clear  tone  of  her  voice.  She  was  richly 
dressed  in  a  new  robe,  with  a  great  deal  of  lace  and  a 
jaunty  hat ;  yet  she  had  a  wretched  expression ;  she  was 
all  besmeared  with  rouge  and  paint. 

When  she  came  in  she  seemed  very  angry. 

"  What  an  idea !  "  she  cried,  without  taking  the 
trouble  to  bow  to  anyone ;  "  what  sense  is  there  in 
sending  for  me  to  come  here  in  this  way,  almost  by 
force,  and  by  a  very  impudent  young  woman  ?  " 

Mme.  Charman  hastened  to  meet  her  old  customer, 
embraced  her  in  spite  of  herself,  and  pressed  her  to 
her  heart. 

"  Why,  don't  be  so  angry,  dear — I  thought  you 
would  be  delighted  and  overwhelm  me  with  thanks." 

"I?    What  for?" 

"  Because,  my  dear  girl,  I  had  a  surprise  in  store  for 
you.  Ah,  I'm  not  ungrateful ;  you  came  here  yesterday 
and  settled  your  account  with  me,  and  to-day  I  mean 
to  reward  you  for  it.  Come,  cheer  up ;  you're  going  to 
have  a  splendid  chance,  because  just  at  this  moment  I 
happen  to  have  a  piece  of  exquisite  velvet " 

"  A  pretty  thing  to  bring  me  here  for !  " 

"  All  silk,  my  dear,  at  thirty  francs  the  yard.  Ha, 
'tis  wonderfully  cheap,  the  best " 


346       THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Eh !    What  care  I  for  your  '  chance  ? '    Velvet  In 
July — are  you  making  fun  of  me  ?  " 
"  Let  me  show  it  to  you,  now." 

"  Never !    I  am  expected  to  dinner  at  Asnieres,  and 
» 

She  was  about  to  go  away  despite  Mme.  Charman's 
attempts  to  detain  her,  when  M.  Lecoq  thought  it  was 
time  to  interfere. 

"  Why,  am  I  mistaken  ?  "  cried  he,  as  if  amazed ;  "  is 
it  really  Miss  Jenny  whom  I  have  the  honor  of  seeing?  " 

She  scanned  him  with  a  half-angry,  half-surprised 
air,  and  said: 

"Yes,  it's  I;  what  of  it?" 

"  What !  Are  you  so  forgetful  ?  Don't  you  recog- 
nize me  ?  " 

"  No,  not  at  all." 

"  Yet  I  was  one  of  your  admirers  once,  my  dear,  and 
used  to  breakfast  with  you  when  you  lived  near  the 
Madeleine ;  in  the  count's  time,  you  know." 

He  took  off  his  spectacles  as  if  to  wipe  them,  but 
really  to  launch  a  furious  look  at  Mme.  Charman,  who, 
not  daring  to  resist,  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

"  I  knew  Tremorel  well  in  other  days,"  resumed  the 
detective.  "  And — by  the  bye,  have  you  heard  any 
news  of  him  lately  ?  " 

"  I  saw  him  about  a  week  ago." 

"  Stop,  though — haven't  you  heard  of  that  horrible 
affair?" 

"No.    What  was  it?" 

"  Really,  now,  haven't  you  heard  ?  Don't  you  read 
the  papers  ?  It  was  a  dreadful  thing,  and  has  been  the 
talk  of  all  Paris  for  the  past  forty-eight  hours." 

"  Tell  me  about  it,  quick !  " 

"  You  know  that  he  married  the  widow  of  one  of  his 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        347 

friends.  He  was  thought  to  be  very  happy  at  home; 
not  at  all ;  he  has  murdered  his  wife  with  a  knife." 

Jenny  grew  pale  under  her  paint. 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  "  stammered  she.  She  seemed  much 
affected,  but  not  very  greatly  surprised,  which  M. 
Lecoq  did  not  fail  to  remark. 

"  It  is  so  possible,"  he  resumed,  "  that  he  is  at  this 
moment  in  prison,  will  soon  be  tried,  and  without  a 
doubt  will  be  convicted." 

M.  Plantat  narrowly  observed  Jenny;  he  looked  for 
an  explosion  of  despair,  screams,  tears,  at  least  a  light 
nervous  attack ;  he  was  mistaken. 

Jenny  now  detested  Tremorel.  Sometimes  she  felt 
the  weight  of  her  degradation,  and  she  accused  Hector 
of  her  present  ignominy.  She  heartily  hated  him, 
though  she  smiled  when  she  saw  him,  got  as  much 
money  out  of  him  as  she  could,  and  cursed  him  behind 
his  back.  Instead  of  bursting  into  tears,  she  therefore 
laughed  aloud. 

"  Well  done  for  Tremorel,"  said  she.  "  Why  did  he 
leave  me?  Good  for  her  too." 

"Why  so?" 

"  What  did  she  deceive  her  husband  for  ?  It  was 
she  who  took  Hector  from  me — she,  a  rich,  married 
woman!  But  I've  always  said  Hector  was  a  poor 
wretch." 

"  Frankly,  that's  my  notion  too.  When  a  man  acts 
as  Tremorel  has  toward  you,  he's  a  villain." 

"It's  so,  isn't  it?" 

"  Parbleu !  But  I'm  not  surprised  at  his  conduct. 
For  his  wife's  murder  is  the  least  of  his  crimes ;  why, 
he  tried  to  put  it  off  upon  somebody  else !  " 

"  That  doesn't  surprise  me." 

"  He  accused  a  poor  devil  as  innocent  as  you  or  I, 


348        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

who  might  have  been  condemned  to  death  if  he  hadn't 
been  able  to  tell  where  he  was  on  Wednesday  night." 

M.  Lecoq  said  this  lightly,  with  intended  delibera- 
tion, so  as  to  watch  the  impression  he  produced  on 
Jenny. 

"  Do  you  know  who  the  man  was  ?  "  asked  she  in  a 
tremulous  voice. 

"  The  papers  said  it  was  a  poor  lad  who  was  his 
gardener." 

"  A  little  man,  wasn't  he,  thin,  very  dark,  with  black 
hair?" 

"  Just  so." 

"  And  whose  name  was — wait  now — was — Gues- 
pin." 

"  Ah  ha,  you  know  him  then  ?  " 

Jenny  hesitated.  She  was  trembling  very  much,  and 
evidently  regretted  that  she  had  gone  so  far. 

"  Bah !  "  said  she  at  last.  "  I  don't  see  why  I 
shouldn't  tell  what  I  know.  I'm  an  honest  girl,  if 
Tremorel  is  a  rogue;  and  I  don't  want  them  to  con- 
demn a  poor  wretch  who  is  innocent." 

"  You  know  something  about  it,  then  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  know  nearly  all  about  it — that's  honest,  ain't 
it  ? '  About  a  week  ago  Hector  wrote  to  me  to  meet  him 
at  Melun ;  I  went,  found  him,  and  we  breakfasted  to- 
gether. Then  he  told  me  that  he  was  very  much  an- 
noyed about  his  cook's  marriage;  for  one  of  his  ser- 
vants was  deeply  in  love  with  her,  and  might  go  and. 
raise  a  rumpus  at  the  wedding." 

"  Ah,  he  spoke  to  you  about  the  wedding,  then?  " 

"  Wait  a  minute.  Hector  seemed  very  much  em- 
barrassed, not  knowing  how  to  avoid  the  disturbance  he 
feared.  Then  I  advised  him  to  send  the  servant  off  out 
of  the  way  on  the  wedding-day.  He  thought  a  moment, 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        349 

and  said  that  my  advice  was  good.  He  added  that  he 
had  found  a  means  of  doing  this ;  on  the  evening  of  the 
marriage  he  would  send  the  man  on  an  errand  for  me, 
telling  him  that  the  affair  was  to  be  concealed  from  the 
countess.  I  was  to  dress  up  as  a  chambermaid,  and 
wait  for  the  man  at  the  cafe  in  the  Place  du  Chatelet, 
between  half-past  nine  and  ten  that  evening;  I  was  to 
sit  at  the  table  nearest  the  entrance  on  the  right,  with  a 
bouquet  in  my  hand,  so  that  he  should  recognize  me. 
He  would  come  in  and  give  me  a  package ;  then  I  was  to 
ask  him  to  take  something,  and  so  get  him  tipsy  if  pos- 
sible, and  then  walk  about  Paris  with  him  till  morn- 
ing." 

Jenny  expressed  herself  with  difficulty,  hesitating, 
choosing  her  words,  and  trying  to  remember  exactly 
what  Tremorel  said. 

"  And  you,"  interrupted  M.  Lecoq,  "  did  you  believe 
all  this  story  about  a  jealous  servant?  " 

"  Not  quite ;  but  I  fancied  that  he  had  some  intrigue 
on  foot,  and  I  wasn't  sorry  to  help  him  deceive  a  woman 
whom  I  detested,  and  who  had  wronged  me." 

"  So  you  did  as  he  told  you?  " 

"  Exactly,  from  beginning  to  end ;  everything  hap- 
pened just  as  Hector  had  foreseen.  The  man  came 
along  at  just  ten  o'clock,  took  me  for  a  maid,  and  gave 
me  the  package.  I  naturally  offered  him  a  glass  of 
beer ;  he  took  it  and  proposed  another,  which  I  also  ac- 
cepted. He  is  a  very  nice  fellow,  this  gardener,  and  I 
passed  a  very  pleasant  evening  with  him.  He  knew  lots 
of  queer  things,  and " 

"  Never  mind  that.    What  did  you  do  then  ?  " 

"  After  the  beer  we  had  some  wine,  then  some  beer 
again,  then  some  punch,  then  some  more  wine — the  gar- 
dener had  his  pockets  full  of  money.  He  was  very 


350        THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL 

tipsy  by  eleven  and  invited  me  to  go  and  have  a  dance 
with  him  at  the  Batignolles.  I  refused,  and  asked  him 
to  escort  me  back  to  my  mistress  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  Champs  Elysees.  We  went  out  of  the  cafe  and 
walked  up  the  Rue  de  Rivoli,  stopping  every  now  and 
then  for  more  wine  and  beer.  By  two  o'clock  the  fellow 
was  so  far  gone  that  he  fell  like  a  lump  on  a  bench  near 
the  Arc  de  Triomphe,  where  he  went  to  sleep;  and 
there  I  left  him." 

"  Well,  where  did  you  go  ?  " 

"  Home." 

"  What  has  become  of  the  package  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  intended  to  throw  it  into  the  Seine,  as  Hector 
wished,  but  I  forgot  it;  you  see,  I  had  drunk  almost 
as  much  as  the  gardener — so  I  carried  it  back  home 
with  me,  and  it  is  in  my  room  now." 

"  Have  you  opened  it  ?  " 

"  Well— what  do  you  think?  " 

"What  did  it  contain?" 

"  A  hammer,  two  other  tools  and  a  large  knife." 

Guespin's  innocence  was  now  evident,  and  the  de« 
tective's  foresight  was  realized. 

"  Guespin's  all  right,"  said  M.  Plantat.  "  But  we 
must  know " 

M.  Lecoq  interrupted  him ;  he  knew  now  all  he 
wished.  Jenny  could  tell  him  nothing  more,  so  he  sud- 
denly changed  his  tone  from  a  wheedling  one  to  abrupt 
severity. 

"  My  fine  young  woman,"  said  he,  "  you  have  saved 
an  innocent  man,  but  you  must  repeat  what  you  have 
just  said  to  the  judge  of  instruction  at  Corbeil.  And 
as  you  might  lose  yourself  on  the  way,  I'll  give  you  a 
guide." 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        35* 

He  went  to  the  window  and  opened  it;  perceiving 
Goulard  on  the  sidewalk,  he  cried  out  to  him : 

"  Goulard,  come  up  here." 

He  turned  to  the  astonished  Jenny,  who  was  so 
frightened  that  she  dared  not  either  question  him  or  get 
angry,  and  said : 

"  Tell  me  how  much  Tremorel  paid  you  for  the  ser- 
vice you  rendered  him." 

"  Ten  thousand  francs ;  but  it  is  my  due,  I  swear  to 
you ;  for  he  promised  it  to  me  long  ago,  and  owed  it  to 
me." 

"  Very  good ;  it  can't  be  taken  away  from  you."  He 
added,  pointing  out  Goulard  who  entered  just  then: 
"  Go  with  this  man  to  your  room,  take  the  package 
which  Guespin  brought  you,  and  set  out  at  once  for 
Corbeil.  Above  all,  no  tricks,  Miss — or  beware  of 
me!"  ' 

Mme.  Charman  came  in  just  in  time  to  see  Jenny 
leave  the  room  with  Goulard. 

"  Lord,  what's  the  matter?"  she  asked  M.  Lecoq. 

"  Nothing,  my  dear  Madame,  nothing  that  concerns 
you  in  the  least.  And  so,  thank  you  and  good-evening ; 
we  are  in  a  great  hurry." 

XXVI 

When  M.  Lecoq  was  in  a  hurry  he  walked  fast.  He 
almost  ran  down  the  Rue  Notre  Dame  de  Lorette,  so 
that  Plantat  had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  up  with 
him ;  and  as  he  went  along  he  pursued  his  train  of  re- 
flection, half  aloud,  so  that  his  companion  caught  here 
and  there  a  snatch  of  it. 

"  All  goes  well,"  he  muttered,  "  and  we  shall  suc- 
ceed. It's  seldom  that  a  campaign  which  commences 


352        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

so  well  ends  badly.  If  Job  is  at  the  wine  merchant's, 
and  if  one  of  my  men  has  succeeded  in  his  search,  the 
crime  of  Valfeuillu  is  solved,  and  in  a  week  people  will 
have  forgotten  it." 

He  stopped  short  on  reaching  the  foot  of  the  street 
opposite  the  church. 

"  I  must  ask  you  to  pardon  me,"  said  he  to  the  old 
justice,  "  for  hurrying  you  on  so  and  making  you  one 
of  my  trade ;  but  your  assistance  might  have  been  very 
useful  at  Madame  Charman's,  and  will  be  indispensable 
when  we  get  fairly  on  Tremorel's  track." 

They  went  across  the  square  and  into  the  wine  shop 
at  the  corner  of  the  Rue  des  Martyrs.  Its  keeper  was 
standing  behind  his  counter  turning  wine  out  of  a  large 
jug  into  some  litres,  and  did  not  seem  much  astonished 
at  seeing  his  new  visitors.  M.  Lecoq  was  quite  at  home 
(as  he  was  everywhere),  and  spoke  to  the  man  with  an 
air  of  easy  familiarity. 

"  Aren't  there  six  or  eight  men  waiting  for  some- 
body here?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  they  came  about  an  hour  ago." 

"  Are  they  in  the  big  back  room  ?  " 

"  Just  so,  Monsieur,"  responded  the  wine  merchant, 
obsequiously. 

He  didn't  exactly  know  who  was  talking  to  him,  but 
he  suspected  him  to  be  some  superior  officer  from  the 
prefecture;  and  he  was  not  surprised  to  see  that  this 
distinguished  personage  knew  the  ins  and  outs  of  his 
house.  He  opened  the  door  of  the  room  referred  to 
without  hesitation.  Ten  men  in  various  guises  were 
drinking  there  and  playing  cards.  On  M.  Lecoq's  en- 
trance with  M.  Plantat,  they  respectfully  got  up  and 
took  off  their  hats. 

"  Good  for  you,  Job,"  said  M.  Lecoq  to  him  who 


THE   MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL        353 

seemed  to  be  their  chief,  "you  are  prompt,  and  it 
pleases  me.  Your  ten  men  will  be  quite  enough,  for  I 
shall  have  the  three  besides  whom  I  sent  out  this  morn- 
ing." 

M.  Job  bowed,  happy  at  having  pleased  a  master 
who  was  not  very  prodigal  in  his  praises. 

"  I  want  you  to  wait  here  a  while  longer,"  resumed 
M.  Lecoq,  "  for  my  orders  will  depend  on  a  report 
which  I  am  expecting."  He  turned  to  the  men  whom 
he  had  sent  out  among  the  upholsterers : 

"  Which  of  you  was  successful  ?  " 

"  I,  Monsieur,"  replied  a  big  white- faced  fellow,  with 
insignificant  mustaches. 

"  What,  you  again,  Palot  ?  really,  my  lad,  you  are 
lucky.  Step  into  this  side  room — first,  though,  order 
a  bottle  of  wine,  and  ask  the  proprietor  to  see  to  it  that 
we  are  not  disturbed." 

These  orders  were  soon  executed,  and  M.  Plantat 
being  duly  ensconced  with  them  in  the  little  room,  the 
detective  turned  the  key. 

"  Speak  up  now,"  said  he  to  Palot,  "  and  be  brief." 

"  I  showed  the  photograph  to  at  least  a  dozen  up- 
holsterers without  any  result ;  but  at  last  a  merchant  in 
the  Faubourg  St.  Germain,  named  Rech,  recognized 
it." 

"  Tell  me  just  what  he  said,  if  you  can." 

"  He  told  me  that  it  was  the  portrait  of  one  of  his 
customers.  A  month  ago  this  customer  came  to  him  to 
buy  a  complete  set  of  furniture — drawing-room,  din- 
ing-room, bed-room,  and  the  rest — for  a  little  house 
which  he  had  just  rented.  He  did  not  beat  him  down  at 
all,  and  only  made  one  condition  to  the  purchase,  and 
that  was,  that  everything  should  be  ready  and  in  place. 


354        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

and  the  curtains  and  carpets  put  in,  within  three  weeks 
from  that  time ;  that  is  a  week  ago  last  Monday." 

"  And  what  was  the  sum-total  of  the  purchase  ?  " 

"  Eighteen  thousand  francs,  half  paid  down  in  ad- 
vance, and  half  on  the  day  of  delivery." 

"  And  who  carried  the  last  half  of  the  money  to  the 
upholsterer  ?  " 

"  A  servant." 

"  What  name  did  this  customer  give  ?  " 

"  He  called  himself  Monsieur  James  Wilson ;  but 
Monsieur  Rech  said  he  did  not  seem  like  an  English- 
man." 

"Where  does  he  live?" 

"  The  furniture  was  carried  to  a  small  house,  No.  34 
Rue  St.  Lazare,  near  the  Havre  station." 

M.  Lecoq's  face,  which  had  up  to  that  moment  worn 
an  anxious  expression,  beamed  with  joy.  He  felt  the 
natural  pride  of  a  captain  who  has  succeeded  in  his 
plans  for  the  enemy's  destruction.  He  tapped  the  old 
justice  of  the  peace  familiarly  on  the  shoulder,  and  pro- 
nounced a  single  word : 

"Nipped!" 

Palot  shook  his  head. 

"  It  isn't  certain,"  said  he. 

"Why?" 

"  You  may  imagine,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  that  when  I 
got  the  address,  having  some  time  on  my  hands,  I 
went  to  reconnoitre  the  house." 

"Well?" 

"  The  tenant's  name  is  really  Wilson,  but  it's  not  the 
man  of  the  photograph,  I'm  certain." 

M.  Plantat  gave  a  groan  of  disappointment,  but  M. 
Lecoq  was  not  so  easily  discouraged. 

"  How  did  you  find  out  ?  " 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        355 

"  I  pumped  one  of  the  servants." 

"  Confound  you !  "  cried  M.  Plantat.  "  Perhaps  you 
roused  suspicions." 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  M.  Lecoq.  "  I'll  answer  for 
him.  Palot  is  a  pupil  of  mine.  Explain  yourself, 
Palot." 

"  Recognizing  the  house — an  elegant  affair  it  is, 
too — I  said  to  myself : '  I'  faith,  here's  the  cage ;  let's  see 
if  the  bird  is  in  it.'  I  luckily  happened  to  have  a  napo- 
leon in  my  pocket;  and  I  slipped  it  without  hesitation 
into  the  drain  which  led  from  the  house  to  the  street- 
gutter." 

"Then  you  rang?" 

"  Exactly.  The  porter — there  is  a  porter — opened  the 
door,  and  with  my  most  vexed  air  I  told  him  how,  in 
pulling  out  my  handkerchief,  I  had  dropped  a  twenty- 
franc  piece  in  the  drain,  and  begged  him  to  lend  me 
something  to  try  to  get  it  out.  He  lent  me  a  poker  and 
took  another  himself,  and  we  got  the  money  out  with 
no  difficulty;  I  began  to  jump  about  as  if  I  were  de- 
lighted, and  begged  him  to  let  me  treat  him  to  a  glass 
of  wine." 

"  Not  bad." 

"  Oh,  Monsieur  Lecoq,  it  is  one  of  your  tricks,  you 
know.  My  porter  accepted  my  invitation,  and  we  soon 
got  to  be  the  best  friends  in  the  world  over  some  wine 
in  a  shop  just  across  the  street  from  the  house.  We 
were  having  a  jolly  talk  together  when,  all  of  a  sudden, 
I  leaned  over  as  if  I  had  just  espied  something  on  the 
floor,  and  picked  up — the  photograph,  which  I  had 
dropped  and  soiled  a  little  with  my  foot.  '  What,'  cried 
I,  '  a  portrait? '  My  new  friend  took  it,  looked  at  it, 
and  didn't  seem  to  recognize  it.  Then,  to  be  certain,  I 
said,  '  He's  a  very  good-looking  fellow,  ain't  he  now  ? 


356        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Your  master  must  be  some  such  a  man.'  But  he  said 
no,  that  the  photograph  was  of  a  man  who  was  bearded, 
while  his  master  was  as  clean-faced  as  an  abbe.  '  Be- 
sides,' he  added,  '  my  master  is  an  American ;  he  gives 
us  our  orders  in  French,  but  Madame  and  he  always 
talk  English  together.'  " 

M.  Lecoq's  eye  glistened  as  Palot  proceeded. 

"  Tremorel  speaks  English,  doesn't  he  ?  "  asked  he  of 
M.  Plantat. 

"  Quite  well ;  and  Laurence  too." 

"  If  that  is  so,  we  are  on  the  right  track,  for  we 
know  that  Tremorel  shaved  his  beard  off  on  the  night 
of  the  murder.  We  can  go  on " 

Palot  meanwhile  seemed  a  little  uneasy  at  not  receiv- 
ing the  praise  he  expected. 

"  My  lad,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  turning  to  him,  "  I  think 
you  have  done  admirably,  and  a  good  reward  shall 
prove  it  to  you.  Being  ignorant  of  what  we  know,  your 
conclusions  were  perfectly  right.  But  let's  go  to  the 
house  at  once;  have  you  got  a  plan  of  the  ground- 
floor?" 

"  Yes,  and  also  of  the  first  floor  above.  The  porter 
was  not  dumb,  and  so  he  gave  me  a  good  deal  of  infor- 
mation about  his  master  and  mistress,  though  he  has 
only  been  there  two  days.  The  lady  is  dreadfully  mel- 
ancholy, and  cries  all  the  time." 

"  We  know  it ;  the  plan " 

"  Below,  there  is  a  large  and  high  paved  arch  for  the 
carriages  to  pass  through ;  on  the  other  side  is  a  good- 
sized  courtyard,  at  the  end  of  which  are  the  stable  and 
carriage-house.  The  porter's  lodge  is  on  the  left  of  the 
arch;  on  the  right  a  glass  door  opens  on  a  staircase 
with  six  steps,  which  conducts  to  a  vestibule  into  which 
the  drawing-room,  dining-room,  and  two  other  little 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        357 

rooms  open.  The  chambers  are  on  the  first  floor,  a 
study,  a " 

"  Enough,"  M.  Lecoq  said,  "  my  plan  is  made." 

And  rising  abruptly,  he  opened  the  door,  and  fol- 
lowed by  M.  Plantat  and  Palot,  went  into  the  large 
room.  All  the  men  rose  at  his  approach  as  before. 

"  Monsieur  Job,"  said  the  detective,  "  listen  atten- 
tively to  what  I  have  to  say.  As  soon  as  I  am  gone, 
pay  up  what  you  owe  here,  and  then,  as  I  must  have  you 
all  within  reach,  go  and  install  yourselves  in  the  first 
wine-shop  on  the  right  as  you  go  up  the  Rue  d'Amster- 
dam.  Take  your  dinner  there,  for  you  will  have  time 
— but  soberly,  you  understand." 

He  took  two  napoleons  out  of  his  pocket  and  placed 
them  on  the  table,  adding: 

"  That's  for  the  dinner." 

M.  Lecoq  and  the  old  justice  went  into  the  street,  fol- 
lowed closely  by  Palot.  The  detective  was  anxious 
above  all  to  see  for  himself  the  house  inhabited  by 
Tremorel.  He  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  interior  must 
be  as  Palot  had  described. 

"  That's  it,  undoubtedly,"  said  he  to  M.  Plantat ; 
"  we've  got  the  game  in  our  hands.  Our  chances  at 
this  moment  are  ninety  to  ten." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  the  justice, 
whose  emotion  increased  as  the  decisive  moment  ap- 
proached. 

"  Nothing,  just  yet.  I  must  wait  for  night  before  I 
act.  As  it  is  two  hours  yet  before  dark,  let's  imitate  my 
men ;  I  know  a  restaurant  just  by  here  where  you  can 
dine  capitally;  we'll  patronize  it." 

And  without  awaiting  a  reply,  he  led  M.  Plantat  to  a 
restaurant  in  the  Passage  du  Havre.  But  at  the  mo- 


358        THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL 

ment  he  was  about  to  open  the  door,  he  stopped  and 
made  a  signal.  Palot  immediately  appeared. 

"  I  give  you  two  hours  to  get  yourself  up  so  that  the 
porter  won't  recognize  you,  and  to  have  some  dinner. 
You  are  an  upholsterer's  apprentice.  Now  clear  out; 
I  shall  wait  for  you  here." 

M.  Lecoq  was  right  when  he  said  that  a  capital  din- 
ner was  to  be  had  in  the  Passage  du  Havre ;  unfortu- 
nately M.  Plantat  was  not  in  a  state  to  appreciate  it. 
As  in  the  morning,  he  found  it  difficult  to  swallow  any- 
thing, he  was  so  anxious  and  depressed.  He  longed  to 
know  the  detective's  plans ;  but  M.  Lecoq  remained  im- 
penetrable, answering  all  inquiries  with: 

"  Let  me  act,  and  trust  me." 

M.  Plantat's  confidence  was  indeed  very  great;  but 
the  more  he  reflected,  the  more  perilous  and  difficult 
seemed  the  attempt  to  save  Tremorel  from  a  trial.  The 
most  poignant  doubts  troubled  and  tortured  his  mind. 
His  own  life  was  at  stake ;  for  he  had  sworn  to  himself 
that  he  would  not  survive  the  ruin  of  Laurence  in  being 
forced  to  confess  in  full  court  her  dishonor  and  her 
love  for  Hector. 

M.  Lecoq  tried  hard  to  make  his  companion  eat  some- 
thing, to  take  at  least  some  soup  and  a  glass  of  old  Bor- 
deaux; but  he  soon  saw  the  uselessness  of  his  efforts 
and  went  on  with  his  dinner  as  if  he  were  alone.  He 
was  very  thoughtful,  but  any  uncertainty  of  the  result 
of  his  plans  never  entered  his  head.  He  drank  much 
and  often,  and  soon  emptied  his  bottle  of  Leoville. 
Night  having  now  come  on,  the  waiters  began  to  light 
the  chandeliers,  and  the  two  friends  found  themselves 
almost  alone. 

"Isn't  it  time  to  begin?"  asked  the  old  justice, 
timidly. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL,        359 

"  We  have  still  nearly  an  hour,"  replied  M.  Lecoq, 
consulting  his  watch ;  "  but  I  shall  make  my  prepara- 
tions now." 

He  called  a  waiter,  and  ordered  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
writing  materials. 

"  You  see,"  said  he,  while  they  were  waiting  to  be 
served,  "  we  must  try  to  get  at  Laurence  without  Trem- 
orel's  knowing  it.  We  must  have  a  ten  minutes'  talk 
with  her  alone,  and  in  the  house.  That  is  a  condition 
absolutely  necessary  to  our  success." 

M.  Plantat  had  evidently  been  expecting  some  imme- 
diate and  decisive  action,  for  M.  Lecoq's  remark  filled 
him  with  alarm. 

"  If  that's  so,"  said  he  mournfully,  "  it's  all  over  with 
our  project." 

"How  so?" 

"  Because  Tremorel  will  not  leave  Laurence  by  her- 
self for  a  moment." 

"  Then  I'll  try  to  entice  him  out." 

"  And  you,  you  who  are  usually  so  clear-sighted, 
really  think  that  he  will  let  himself  be  taken  in  by  a 
trick !  You  don't  consider  his  situation  at  this  moment. 
He  must  be  a  prey  to  boundless  terrors.  We  know 
that  Sauvresy's  declaration  will  not  be  found,  but  he 
does  not ;  he  thinks  that  perhaps  it  has  been  found,  that 
suspicions  have  been  aroused,  and  that  he  is  already 
being  searched  for  and  pursued  by  the  police." 

"  I've  considered  all  that,"  responded  M.  Lecoq  with 
a  triumphant  smile,  "  and  many  other  things  besides. 
Well,  it  isn't  easy  to  decoy  Tremorel  out  of  the  house. 
I've  been  cudgelling  my  brain  about  it  a  good  deal,  and 
have  found  a  way  at  last.  The  idea  occurred  to  me  just 
as  we  were  coming  in  here.  The  Count  de  Tremorel, 
in  an  hour  from  now,  will  be  in  the  Faubourg  St.  Ger- 


360        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

main.  It's  true  it  will  cost  me  a  forgery,  but  you  will 
forgive  me  under  the  circumstances.  Besides,  he  who 
seeks  the  end  must  use  the  means." 

He  took  up  a  pen,  and  as  he  smoked  his  cigar,  rapidly 
wrote  the  following: 

"  MONSIEUR  WILSON  : 

"  Four  of  the  thousand-franc  notes  which  you  paid 
me  are  counterfeits ;  I  have  just  found  it  out  by  sending 
them  to  my  banker's.  If  you  are  not  here  to  explain  the 
matter  before  ten  o'clock,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  put  in  a 
complaint  this  evening  before  the  procureur. 

"  RECH." 

"  Now,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  passing  the  letter  to  his  com- 
panion. "  Do  you  comprehend  ?  " 

The  old  justice  read  it  at  a  glance  and  could  not  re- 
press a  joyful  exclamation,  which  caused  the  waiters  to 
turn  around  and  stare  at  him. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "this  letter  will  catch  him;  it'll 
frighten  him  out  of  all  his  other  terrors.  He  will  say 
to  himself  that  he  might  have  slipped  some  counterfeit 
notes  among  those  paid  to  the  upholsterer,  that  a  com- 
plaint against  him  will  provoke  an  inquiry,  and  that  he 
will  have  to  prove  that  he  is  really  Monsieur  Wilson  or 
he  is  lost." 

"  So  you  think  he'll  come  out  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  of  it,  unless  he  has  become  a  fool." 

"  I  tell  you  we  shall  succeed  then,  for  this  is  the  only 
serious  obstacle " 

He  suddenly  interrupted  himself.  The  restaurant 
door  opened  ajar,  and  a  man  passed  his  head  in  and 
withdrew  it  immediately. 

"  That's  my  man,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  calling  the  waiter 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        361 

to  pay  for  the  dinner,  "  he  is  waiting  for  us  in  the  pas- 
sage ;  let  us  go." 

A  young  man  dressed  like  a  journeyman  upholsterer 
was  standing  in  the  passage  looking  in  at  the  shop-win- 
dows. He  had  long  brown  locks,  and  his  mustache 
and  eyebrows  were  coal-black.  M.  Plantat  certainly 
did  not  recognize  him  as  Palot,  but  M.  Lecoq  did,  and 
even  seemed  dissatisfied  with  his  get-up. 

"  Bad,"  growled  he,  "  pitiable.  Do  you  think  it  is 
enough,  in  order  to  disguise  yourself,  to  change  the 
color  of  your  beard  ?  Look  in  that  glass,  and  tell  me  if 
the  expression  of  your  face  is  not  just  what  it  was 
before?  Aren't  your  eye  and  smile  the  same?  Then 
your  cap  is  too  much  on  one  side,  it  is  not  natural ;  and 
your  hand  is  put  in  your  pocket  awkwardly." 

"  I'll  try  to  do  better  another  time,  Monsieur  Lecoq," 
Palot  modestly  replied. 

"  I  hope  so ;  but  I  guess  your  porter  won't  recognize 
you  to-night,  and  that  is  all  we  want." 

"  And  now  what  must  I  do?  " 

"  I'll  give  you  your  orders ;  and  be  very  careful  not 
to  blunder.  First,  hire  a  carriage,  with  a  good  horse ; 
then  go  to  the  wine-shop  for  one  of  our  men,  who  will 
accompany  you  to  Monsieur  Wilson's  house.  When 
you  get  there  ring,  enter  alone  and  give  the  porter  this 
letter,  saying  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  This 
done,  put  yourself  with  your  companion  in  ambuscade 
before  the  house.  If  Monsieur  Wilson  goes  out — and 
he  will  go  out  or  I  am  not  Lecoq — send  your  comrade 
to  me  at  once.  As  for  you,  you  will  follow  Monsieur 
Wilson  and  not  lose  sight  of  him.  He  will  take  a  car- 
riage, and  you  will  follow  him  with  yours,  getting  up  on 
the  hackman's  seat  and  keeping  a  lookout  from  there. 
Have  your  eyes  ogen,  for  he  is  a  rascal  who  may  feel 


362        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

inclined  to  jump  out  of  his  cab  and  leave  you  in  pursuit 
of  an  empty  vehicle." 

"  Yes,  and  the  moment  I  am  informed " 

"  Silence,  please,  when  I  am  speaking.  He  will 
probably  go  to  the  upholsterer's  in  the  Rue  des  Saints- 
Peres,  but  I  may  be  mistaken.  He  may  order  himself 
to  be  carried  to  one  of  the  railway  stations,  and  may 
take  the  first  train  which  leaves.  In  this  case,  you  must 
get  into  the  same  railway  carriage  that  he  does,  and 
follow  him  everywhere  he  goes ;  and  be  sure  and  send 
me  a  despatch  as  soon  as  you  can." 

"  Very  well,  Monsieur  Lecoq ;  only  if  I  have  to  take 
a  train " 

"  What,  haven't  you  any  money  ?  " 

"  Well— no,  my  chief." 

"  Then  take  this  five-hundred-franc  note ;  that's  more 
than  is  necessary  to  make  the  tour  of  the  world.  Do 
you  comprehend  everything  ?  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon — what  shall  I  do  if  Monsieur 
Wilson  simply  returns  to  his  house  ?  " 

"  In  that  case  I  will  finish  with  him.  If  he  returns, 
you  will  come  back  with  him,  and  the  moment  his  cab 
stops  before  the  house  give  two  loud  whistles,  you 
know.  Then  wait  for  me  in  the  street,  taking  care  to 
retain  your  cab,  which  you  will  lend  to  Monsieur  Plan- 
tat  if  he  needs  it." 

"  All  right,"  said  Palot,  who  hastened  off  without 
more  ado. 

M.  Plantat  and  the  detective,  left  alone,  began  to 
walk  up  and  down  the  gallery;  both  were  grave  and 
silent,  as  men  are  at  a  decisive  moment;  there  is  no 
chatting  about  a  gaming-table.  M.  Lecoq  suddenly 
started;  he  had  just  seen  his  agent  at  the  end  of  the 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        363 

gallery.  His  impatience  was  so  great  that  he  ran 
toward  him,  saying: 

"Well?" 

"  Monsieur,  the  game  has  flown,  and  Palot  after 
him ! " 

"  On  foot  or  in  a  cab  ?  " 

"  In  a  cab." 

"  Enough.  Return  to  your  comrades,  and  tell  them 
to  hold  themselves  ready." 

Everything  was  going  as  Lecoq  wished,  and  he 
grasped  the  old  justice's  hand,  when  he  was  struck  by 
the  alteration  in  his  features. 

"  What,  are  you  ill  ?  "  asked  he,  anxiously. 

"  No,  but  I  am  fifty-five  years  old,  Monsieur  Lecoq, 
and  at  that  age  there  are  emotions  which  kill  one. 
Look,  I  am  trembling  at  the  moment  when  I  see  my 
wishes  being  realized,  and  I  feel  as  if  a  disappointment 
would  be  the  death  of  me.  I'm  afraid,  yes,  I'm  afraid. 
Ah,  why  can't  I  dispense  with  following  you  ?  " 

"  But  your  presence  is  indispensable ;  without  your 
help  I  can  do  nothing." 

"What  could  I  do?" 

"  Save  Laurence,  Monsieur  Plantat." 

This  name  restored  a  part  of  his  courage. 

"  If  that  is  so — "  said  he.  He  began  to  walk  firmly 
toward  the  street,  but  M.  Lecoq  stopped  him. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  detective,  "  not  yet ;  the  battle 
now  depends  on  the  precision  of  our  movements.  A 
single  fault  miserably  upsets  all  my  combinations,  and 
then  I  shall  be  forced  to  arrest  and  deliver  up  the  crimi- 
nal. We  must  have  a  ten  minutes'  interview  with 
Mademoiselle  Laurence,  but  not  much  more,  and  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  that  this  interview  should  be  sud- 
denly interrupted  by  Tremorel's  return.  Let's  make 


364       THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

our  calculations.  It  will  take  the  rascal  half  an  hour 
to  go  to  the  Rue  des  Saints-Peres,  where  he  will  find 
nobody ;  as  long  to  get  back ;  let  us  throw  in  fifteen 
minutes  as  a  margin;  in  all,  an  hour  and  a  quarter. 
There  are  forty  minutes  left  us." 

M.  Plantat  did  not  reply,  but  his  companion  said  that 
he  could  not  stay  so  long  on  his  feet  after  the  fatigues 
of  the  day,  agitated  as  he  was,  and  having  eaten  noth- 
ing since  the  evening  before.  He  led  him  into  a  neigh- 
boring cafe,  and  forced  him  to  eat  a  biscuit  and  drink  a 
glass  of  wine.  Then  seeing  that  conversation  would  be 
annoying  to  the  unhappy  old  man,  he  took  up  an  even- 
ing paper  and  soon  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  the  latest 
news  from  Germany.  The  old  justice,  his  head  leaning 
on  the  back  of  his  chair  and  his  eyes  wandering  over 
the  ceiling,  passed  in  mental  review  the  events  of  the 
past  four  years.  It  seemed  to  him  but  yesterday  that 
Laurence,  still  a  child,  ran  up  his  garden-path  and 
picked  his  roses  and  honeysuckles.  How  pretty  she 
was,  and  how  divine  were  her  great  eyes !  Then,  as  it 
seemed,  between  dusk  and  dawn,  as  a  rose  blooms  on 
a  June  night,  the  pretty  child  had  become  a  sweet  and 
radiant  young  girl.  She  was  timid  and  reserved  with 
all  but  him — was  he  not  her  old  friend,  the  confidant  of 
all  her  little  griefs  and  her  innocent  hopes?  How 
frank  and  pure  she  was  then;  what  a  heavenly  igno- 
rance of  evil ! 

Nine  o'clock  struck ;  M.  Lecoq  laid  down  his  paper. 

"  Let  us  go,"  said  he. 

M.  Plantat  followed  him  with  a  firmer  step,  and  they 
soon  reached  M.  Wilson's  house,  accompanied  by  Job 
and  his  men. 

"  You  men,"  said  M.  Lecoq,  "  wait  till  I  call  before 
you  go  in ;  I  will  leave  the  door  ajar." 


THE    MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        365 

He  rang ;  the  door  swung  open ;  and  M.  Plantat  and 
the  detective  went  in  under  the  arch.  The  porter  was 
on  the  threshold  of  his  lodge. 

"  Monsieur  Wilson  ?  "  asked  M.  Lecoq. 

"  He  is  out." 

"  I  will  speak  to  Madame,  then." 

"  She  is  also  out." 

"  Very  well.  Only,  as  I  must  positively  speak  with 
Madame  Wilson,  I'm  going  upstairs." 

The  porter  seemed  about  to  resist  him  by  force ;  but, 
as  Lecoq  now  called  in  his  men,  he  thought  better  of  it 
and  kept  quiet. 

M.  Lecoq  posted  six  of  his  men  in  the  court,  in  such 
a  position  that  they  could  be  easily  seen  from  the  win- 
dows on  the  first  floor,  and  instructed  the  others  to 
place  themselves  on  the  opposite  sidewalk,  telling  them 
to  look  ostentatiously  at  the  house.  These  measures 
taken,  he  returned  to  the  porter. 

"  Attend  to  me,  my  man.  When  your  master,  who 
has  gone  out,  comes  in  again,  beware  that  you  don't 
tell  him  that  we  are  upstairs ;  a  single  word  would  get 
you  into  terribly  hot  water " 

"  I  am  blind,"  he  answered,  "  and  deaf." 

"  How  many  servants  are  there  in  the  house  ?  " 

"  Three ;  but  they  have  all  gone  out." 

The  detective  then  took  M.  Plantat  by  the  arm,  and 
holding  him  firmly : 

"  You  see,  my  dear  friend,"  said  he,  "  the  game  is 
ours.  Come  along — and  in  Laurence's  name,  have 
courage ! " 


366        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 


XXVII 

All  M.  Lecoq's  anticipations  were  realized.  Lau- 
rence was  not  dead,  and  her  letter  to  her  parents  was 
an  odious  trick.  It  was  really  she  who  lived  in  the 
house  as  Mme.  Wilson.  How  had  the  lovely  young 
girl,  so  much  beloved  by  the  old  justice,  come  to  such  a 
dreadful  extremity  ?  The  logic  of  life,  alas,  fatally  en- 
chains all  our  determinations  to  each  other.  Often  an 
indifferent  action,  little  wrongful  in  itself,  is  the  begin- 
ning of  an  atrocious  crime.  Each  of  our  new  resolu- 
tions depends  upon  those  which  have  preceded  it,  and 
is  their  logical  sequence  just  as  the  sum-total  is  the 
product  of  the  added  figures.  Woe  to  him  who,  being 
seized  with  a  dizziness  at  the  brink  of  the  abyss,  does 
not  fly  as  fast  as  possible,  without  turning  his  head ;  for 
soon,  yielding  to  an  irresistible  attraction,  he  ap- 
proaches, braves  the  danger,  slips,  and  is  lost.  What- 
ever thereafter  he  does  or  attempts  he  will  roll  down 
the  faster,  until  he  reaches  the  very  bottom  of  the  gulf. 

Tremorel  had  by  no  means  the  implacable  character 
of  an  assassin ;  he  was  only  feeble  and  cowardly ;  yet 
he  had  committed  abominable  crimes.  All  his  guilt 
came  from  the  first  feeling  of  envy  with  which  he  re- 
garded Sauvresy,  and  which  he  had  not  taken  the  pains 
to  subdue.  Laurence,  when,  on  the  day  that  she  be- 
came enamoured  of  Tremorel,  she  permitted  him  to 
press  her  hand,  and  kept  it  from  her  mother,  was  lost. 
The  hand-pressure  led  to  the  pretence  of  suicide  in 
order  to  fly  with  her  lover.  It  might  also  lead  to  in- 
fanticide. 

Poor  Laurence,  when  she  was  left  alone  by  Hector's 
departure  to  the  Faubourg  St.  Germain,  on  receiving  M. 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        367 

Lecoq's  letter,  began  to  reflect  upon  the  events  of  the 
past  year.  How  unlooked-for  and  rapidly  succeeding 
they  had  been !  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  been 
whirled  along  in  a  tempest,  without  a  second  to  think 
or  act  freely.  She  asked  herself  if  she  were  not  a  prey 
to  some  hideous  nightmare,  and  if  she  should  not  pres- 
ently awake  in  her  pretty  maidenly  chamber  at  Orcival. 
Was  it  really  she  who  was  there  in  a  strange  house, 
dead  to  everyone,  leaving  behind  a  withered  memory, 
reduced  to  live  under  a  false  name,  without  family  or 
friends  henceforth,  or  anyone  in  the  world  to  help  her 
feebleness,  at  the  mercy  of  a  fugitive  like  herself,  who 
was  free  to  break  to-morrow  the  bonds  of  caprice 
which  to-day  bound  him  to  her  ?  Was  it  she,  too,  who 
was  about  to  become  a  mother,  and  found  herself  suf- 
fering from  the  excessive  misery  of  blushing  for  that 
maternity  which  is  the  pride  of  pure  young  wives  ?  A 
thousand  memories  of  her  past  life  flocked  through  her 
brain  and  cruelly  revived  her  despair.  Her  heart  sank 
as  she  thought  of  her  old  friendships,  of  her  mother,  her 
sister,  the  pride  of  her  innocence,  and  the  pure  joys  of 
the  home  fireside. 

As  she  half  reclined  on  a  divan  in  Hector's  library, 
she  wept  freely.  She  bewailed  her  life,  broken  at 
twenty,  her  lost  youth,  her  vanished,  once  radiant  hopes, 
the  world's  esteem,  and  her  own  self-respect,  which  she 
should  never  recover. 

Of  a  sudden  the  door  was  abruptly  opened. 

Laurence  thought  it  was  Hector  returned,  and  she 
hastily  rose,  passing  her  handkerchief  across  her  face 
to  try  to  conceal  her  tears. 

A  man  whom  she  did  not  know  stood  upon  the 
threshold,  respectfully  bowing.  She  was  afraid,  for 
Tremorel  had  said  to  her  many  times  within  the  past 


368        THE    MYSTERY    OF    ORCIVAL 

two  days,  "  We  are  pursued ;  let  us  hide  well ;"  and 
though  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  nothing  to  fear, 
she  trembled  without  knowing  why. 

v  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  asked,  haughtily,  "  and  who 
has  admitted  you  here?  What  do  you  want?  " 

M.  Lecoq  left  nothing  to  chance  or  inspiration ;  he 
foresaw  everything,  and  regulated  affairs  in  real  life  as 
he  would  the  scenes  in  a  theatre.  He  expected  this  very 
natural  indignation  and  these  questions,  and  was  pre- 
pared for  them.  The  only  reply  he  made  was  to  step 
one  side,  thus  revealing  M.  Plantat  behind  him. 

Laurence  was  so  much  overcome  on  recognizing  her 
old  friend,  that,  in  spite  of  her  resolution,  she  came  near 
falling. 

"  You!  "  she  stammered;  "  you!  " 

The  old  justice  was,  if  possible,  more  agitated  than 
Laurence.  Was  that  really  his  Laurence  there  before 
him  ?  Grief  had  done  its  work  so  well  that  she  seemed 
old.  . 

"  Why  did  you  seek  for  me?  "  she  resumed.  "  Why 
add  another  grief  to  my  life  ?  Ah,  I  told  Hector  that 
the  letter  he  dictated  to  me  would  not  be  believed. 
There  are  misfortunes  for  which  death  is  the  only  ref- 
uge." 

M.  Plantat  was  about  to  reply,  but  Lecoq  was  deter- 
mined to  take  the  lead  in  the  interview. 

"  It  is  not  you,  Madame,  that  we  seek,"  said  he,  "  but 
Monsieur  de  Tremorel." 

"  Hector !  And  why,  if  you  please  ?  Is  he  not 
free?" 

M.  Lecoq  hesitated  before  shocking  the  poor  girl, 
who  had  been  but  too  credulous  in  trusting  to  a  scoun- 
drel's oaths  of  fidelity.  But  he  thought  that  the  cruel 
truth  is  less  harrowing  than  the  suspense  of  intimations. 


THE    MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        369 

"  Monsieur  de  Tremorel,"  he  answered,  "  has  com- 
mitted a  great  crime." 

"He!    You  lie,  sir." 

The  detective  sorrowfully  shook  his  head. 

"  Unhappily  I  have  told  you  the  truth.  Monsieur  de 
Tremorel  murdered  his  wife  on  Wednesday  night.  I 
am  a  detective  and  I  have  a  warrant  to  arrest  him." 

He  thought  this  terrible  charge  would  overwhelm 
Laurence;  he  was  mistaken.  She  was  thunderstruck, 
but  she  stood  firm.  The  crime  horrified  her,  but  it  did 
not  seem  to  her  entirely  improbable,  knowing  as  she  did 
the  hatred  with  which  Hector  was  inspired  by  Bertha. 

"  Well,  perhaps  he  did,"  cried  she,  sublime  in  her 
energy  and  despair;  "  I  am  his  accomplice,  then — ar- 
rest me." 

This  cry,  which  seemed  to  proceed  from  the  most 
senseless  passion,  amazed  the  old  justice,  but  did  not 
surprise  M.  Lecoq. 

"  No,  Madame,"  he  resumed,  "  you  are  not  this 
man's  accomplice.  Besides,  the  murder  of  his  wife  is 
the  least  of  his  crimes.  Do  you  know  why  he  did  not 
marry  you  ?  Because  in  concert  with  Bertha,  he  poi- 
soned Monsieur  Sauvresy,  who  saved  his  life  and  was 
his  best  friend.  We  have  the  proof  of  it." 

This  was  more  than  poor  Laurence  could  bear ;  she 
staggered  and  fell  upon  a  sofa.  But  she  did  not  doubt 
the  truth  of  what  M.  Lecoq  said.  This  terrible  revela- 
tion tore  away  the  veil  which,  till  then,  had  hidden  the 
past  from  her.  The  poisoning  of  Sauvresy  explained 
all  Hector's  conduct,  his  position,  his  fears,  his  prom- 
ises, his  lies,  his  hate,  his  recklessness,  his  marriage,  his 
flight.  Still  she  tried  not  to  defend  him,  but  to  share 
the  odium  of  his  crimes. 


370        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  I  knew  it,"  she  stammered,  in  a  voice  broken  by 
sobs,  "  I  knew  it  all." 

The  old  justice  was  in  despair. 

"  How  you  love  him,  poor  child !  "  murmured  he. 

This  mournful  exclamation  restored  to  Laurence  all 
her  energy ;  she  made  an  effort  and  rose,  her  eyes  glit- 
tering with  indignation : 

"  I  love  him !  "  cried  she.  "  I !  Ah,  I  can  explain 
my  conduct  to  you,  my  old  friend,  for  you  are  worthy 
of  hearing  it.  Yes,  I  did  love  him,  it  is  true — loved 
him  to  the  forgetfulness  of  duty,  to  self-abandonment. 
But  one  day  he  showed  himself  to  me  as  he  was;  I 
judged  him,  and  my  love  did  not  survive  my  contempt. 
I  was  ignorant  of  Sauvresy's  horrible  death.  Hector 
confessed  to  me  that  his  life  and  honor  were  in  Bertha's 
hands — and  that  she  loved  him.  I  left  him  free  to 
abandon  me,  to  marry,  thus  sacrificing  more  than  my 
life  to  what  I  thought  was  his  happiness ;  yet  I  was 
not  deceived.  When  I  fled  with  him  I  once  more  sacri- 
ficed myself,  when  I  saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  con- 
ceal my  shame.  I  wanted  to  die.  I  lived,  and  wrote 
an  infamous  letter  to  my  mother,  and  yielded  to  Hec- 
tor's prayers,  because  he  pleaded  with  me  in  the  name 
of  my — of  our  child !  " 

M.  Lecoq,  impatient  at  the  loss  of  time,  tried  to  say 
something;  but  Laurence  would  not  listen  to  him. 

"  But  what  matter?  "  she  continued.  "  I  loved  him, 
followed  him,  and  am  his.  Constancy  at  all  hazards  is 
the  only  excuse  for  a  fault  like  mine.  I  will  do  my 
duty.  I  cannot  be  innocent  when  Hector  has  commit- 
ted a  crime;  I  desire  to  suffer  half  the  punishment." 

She  spoke  with  such  remarkable  animation  that  the 
detective  despaired  of  calming  her,  when  two  whistles 
in  the  street  struck  his  ear.  Tremorel  was  returning 


THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL        371 

and  there  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost.  He  suddenly 
seized  Laurence  by  the  arm. 

"  You  will  tell  all  this  to  the  judges,  Madame,"  said 
he,  sternly.  "  My  orders  are  only  for  M.  de  Tremorel. 
Here  is  the  warrant  to  arrest  him." 

He  took  out  the  warrant  and  laid  it  upon  the  table. 
Laurence,  by  the  force  of  her  will,  had  become  almost 
calm. 

"  You  will  let  me  speak  five  minutes  with  the  Count 
de  Tremorel,  will  you  not  ?  "  she  asked. 

M.  Lecoq  was  delighted ;  he  had  looked  for  this  re- 
quest, and  expected  it. 

"  Five  minutes  ?  Yes,"  he  replied.  "  But  abandon 
all  hope,  Madame,  of  saving  the  prisoner ;  the  house  is 
watched ;  if  you  look  in  the  court  and  in  the  street  you 
will  see  my  men  in  ambuscade.  Besides,  I  am  going  to 
stay  here  in  the  next  room." 

The  count  was  heard  ascending  the  stairs. 

"  There's  Hector !  "  cried  Laurence,  "  quick,  quick ! 
conceal  yourselves !  " 

She  added,  as  they  were  retiring,  in  a  low  tone,  but 
not  so  low  as  to  prevent  the  detective  from  hearing  her : 

"  Be  sure,  we  will  not  try  to  escape." 

She  let  the  door-curtain  drop;  it  was  time.  Hector 
entered.  He  was  paler  than  death,  and  his  eyes  had  a 
fearful,  wandering  expression. 

"  We  are  lost !  "  said  he,  "  they  are  pursuing  us. 
See,  this  letter  which  I  received  just  now  is  not  from 
the  man  whose  signature  it  professes  to  bear;  he  told 
me  so  himself.  Come,  let  us  go,  let  us  leave  this 
house " 

Laurence  overwhelmed  him  with  a  look  full  of  hate 
and  contempt,  and  said : 

"  It  is  too  late." 


372        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

Her  countenance  and  voice  were  so  strange  that 
Tremorel,  despite  his  distress,  was  struck  by  it,  and 
asked : 

"What  is  the  matter?" 

"  Everything  is  known ;  it  is  known  that  you  killed 
your  wife." 

"It's  false!" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  Well,  then,  it  is  true,"  he  added,  "  for  I  loved  you 
,  » 

"  Really !  And  it  was  for  love  of  me  that  you  poi- 
soned Sauvresy  ?  " 

He  saw  that  he  was  discovered,  that  he  had  been 
caught  in  a  trap,  that  they  had  come,  in  his  absence,  and 
told  Laurence  all.  He  did  not  attempt  to  deny  any- 
thing. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  "  cried  he,  "  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

Laurence  drew  him  to  her,  and  muttered  in  a  shud- 
dering voice : 

"  Save  the  name  of  Tremorel ;  there  are  pistols 
here." 

He  recoiled,  as  if  he  had  seen  death  itself. 

"  No,"  said  he.  "  I  can  yet  fly  and  conceal  myself ; 
I  will  go  alone,  and  you  can  rejoin  me  afterward." 

"  I  have  already  told  you  that  it  is  too  late.  The  po- 
lice have  surrounded  the  house.  And — you  know — it 
is  the  galleys,  or — the  scaffold !  " 

"  I  can  get  away  by  the  courtyard."' 

"  It  is  guarded ;  look." 

He  ran  to  the  window,  saw  M.  Lecoq's  men,  and  re- 
turned half  mad  and  hideous  with  terror. 

"  I  can  at  least  try,"  said  he,  "  by  disguising  my- 
self  " 


THE   MYSTERY   OF    ORCIVAL        373 

"  Fool !  A  detective  is  in  there,  and  it  was  he  who 
left  that  warrant  to  arrest  you  on  the  table." 

He  saw  that  he  was  lost  beyond  hope. 

"  Must  I  die,  then?  "  he  muttered. 

"  Yes,  you  must ;  but  before  you  die  write  a  confes- 
sion of  your  crimes,  for  the  innocent  may  be  sus- 
pected  " 

He  sat  down  mechanically,  took  the  pen  which  Lau- 
rence held  out  to  him,  and  wrote : 

"  Being  about  to  appear  before  God,  I  declare  that  I 
alone,  and  without  accomplices,  poisoned  Sauvresy  and 
murdered  the  Countess  de  Tremorel,  my  wife." 

When  he  had  signed  and  dated  this,  Laurence 
opened  a  bureau  drawer;  Hector  seized  one  of  the 
brace  of  pistols  which  were  lying  in  it,  and  she  took  the 
other.  But  Tremorel,  as  before  at  the  hotel,  and  then 
in  the  dying  Sauvresy's  chamber,  felt  his  heart  fail  him 
as  he  placed  the  pistol  against  his  forehead.  He  was 
livid,  his  teeth  chattered,  and  he  trembled  so  violently 
that  he  let  the  pistol  drop. 

"  Laurence,  my  love,"  he  stammered,  "  what  will — 
become  of  you  ?  " 

"  Me !  I  have  sworn  that  I  will  follow  you  always 
and  everywhere.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Ah,  'tis  horrible !  "  said  he.  "  It  was  not  I  who 
poisoned  Sauvresy — it  was  she — there  are  proofs  of  it ; 
perhaps,  with  a  good  advocate " 

M.  Lecoq  did  not  lose  a  word  or  a  gesture  of  this 
tragical  scene.  Either  purposely  or  by  accident,  he 
pushed  the  door-curtain,  which  made  a  slight  noise. 

Laurence  thought  the  door  was  being  opened,  that 
the  detective  was  returning,  and  that  Hector  would  fall 
alive  into  their  hands. 


374        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

"  Miserable  coward !  "  she  cried,  pointing  her  pistol 
at  him,  "  shoot,  or  else " 

He  hesitated ;  there  was  another  rustle  at  the  door ; 
she  fired. 

Tremorel  fell  dead. 

Laurence,  with  a  rapid  movement,  took  up  the  other 
pistol,  and  was  turning  it  against  herself,  when  M. 
Lecoq  sprung  upon  her  and  tore  the  weapon  from  her 
grasp. 

"  Unhappy  girl !  "  cried  he,  "  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  Die.     Can  I  live  now?  " 

"  Yes,  you  can  live,"  responded  M.  Lecoq.  "  And 
more,  you  ought  to  live." 

"  I  am  a  lost  woman " 

"  No,  you  are  a  poor  child  lured  away  by  a  wretch. 
You  say  you  are  very  guilty ;  perhaps  so ;  live  to  re- 
pent of  it.  Great  sorrows  like  yours  have  their  mis- 
sions in  this  world,  one  of  devotion  and  charity.  Live, 
and  the  good  you  do  will  attach  you  once  more  to  life. 
You  have  yielded  to  the  deceitful  promises  of  a  villain ; 
remember,  when  you  are  rich,  that  there  are  poor  inno- 
cent girls  forced  to  lead  a  life  of  miserable  shame  for  a 
morsel  of  bread.  Go  to  these  unhappy  creatures,  rescue 
them  from  debauchery,  and  their  honor  will  be  yours." 

M.  Lecoq  narrowly  watched  Laurence  as  he  spoke, 
and  perceived  that  he  had  touched  her.  Still,  her  eyes 
were  dry,  and  were  lit  up  with  a  strange  light. 

"  Besides,  your  life  is  not  your  own — you  know." 

"  Ah,"  she  returned,  "  I  must  die  now,  even  for  my 
child,  if  I  would  not  die  of  shame  when  he  asks  for  his 
father " 

"  You  will  reply,  Madame,  by  showing  him  an  hon- 
est man  and  an  old  friend,  who  is  ready  to  give  him  his 
name — Monsieur  Plantat." 


THE   MYSTERY    OF   ORCIVAL        375 

The  old  justice  was  broken  with  grief;  yet  he  had 
the  strength  to  say : 

"  Laurence,  my  beloved  child,  I  beg  you  accept 
me " 

These  simple  words,  pronounced  with  infinite  gentle- 
ness and  sweetness,  at  last  melted  the  unhappy  young 
girl,  and  determined  her.  She  burst  into  tears. 

She  was  saved. 

M.  Lecoq  hastened  to  throw  a  shawl  which  he  saw  on 
a  chair  about  her  shoulders,  and  passed  her  arm 
through  M.  Plantat's,  saying  to  the  latter : 

"  Go,  lead  her  away ;  my  men  have  orders  to  let  you 
pass,  and  Palot  will  lend  you  his  carriage." 

"  But  where  shall  we  go  ?  " 

"  To  Orcival ;  Monsieur  Courtois  has  been  informed 
by  a  letter  from  me  that  his  daughter  is  living,  and  he 
is  expecting  her.  Come,  lose  no  time." 

M.  Lecoq,  when  he  was  left  alone,  listened  to  the  de- 
parture of  the  carriage  which  took  M.  Plantat  and 
Laurence  away ;  then  he  returned  to  Tremorel's  body. 

"  There,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  lies  a  wretch  whom  I 
have  killed  instead  of  arresting  and  delivering  him  up 
to  justice.  Have  I  done  my  duty  ?  No ;  but  my  con- 
science will  not  reproach  me,  because  I  have  acted 
rightly." 

And  running  to  the  staircase,  he  called  his  men. 

XXVIII 

The  day  after  Tremorel's  death,  old  Bertaud  and 
Guespin  were  set  at  liberty,  and  received,  the  former 
four  thousand  francs  to  buy  a  boat  and  new  tackle,  and 
the  latter  ten  thousand  francs,  with  a  promise  of  a  like 
sum  at  the  end  of  the  year,  if  he  would  go  and  live  in  his 


376        THE   MYSTERY   OF   ORCIVAL 

own  province.  Fifteen  days  later,  to  the  great  surprise 
of  the  Orcival  gossips,  who  had  never  learned  the  de- 
tails of  these  events,  M.  Plantat  wedded  Mile.  Laurence 
Courtois ;  and  the  groom  and  bride  departed  that  very 
evening  for  Italy,  where  it  was  announced  they  would 
linger  at  least  a  year. 

As  for  Papa  Courtois,  he  has  offered  his  beautiful  do- 
main at  Orcival  for  sale ;  he  proposes  to  settle  in  the 
middle  of  France,  and  is  on  the  lookout  for  a  commune 
in  need  of  a  good  mayor. 

M.  Lecoq,  like  everybody  else,  would,  doubtless,  have 
forgotten  the  Valfeuillu  affair,  had  it  not  been  that  a 
notary  called  on  him  personally  the  other  morning  with 
a  very  gracious  letter  from  Laurence,  and  an  enormous 
sheet  of  stamped  paper.  This  was  no  other  than  a  title 
deed  to  M.  Plantat's  pretty  estate  at  Orcival,  "  with  fur- 
niture, stable,  carriage-house,  garden,  and  other  depen- 
dencies and  appurtenances  thereunto  belonging,"  and 
some  neighboring  acres  of  pleasant  fields. 

"  Prodigious !  "  cried  M.  Lecoq.  "  I  didn't  help  in- 
grates,  after  all !  I  am  willing  to  become  a  landed  pro- 
prietor, just  for  the  rarity  of  the  thing." 


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